Tourism Bureau Predicts Solid Travel Season
Study Reveals Rise in Vacation Usage
Colorado Springs, CO – May 25, 2017 – American workers took an average of 16.8 days of vacation in 2016, according to new research from Project: Time Off, turning the trend line in a positive direction after losing almost a week of vacation time since 2000. The jump, from 16.2 days in 2015, provides reason to be cautiously optimistic about America’s 2017 vacation plans.
AAA projects that 39.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend. That is one million more travelers than last year taking to the roads, skies, rails and water, creating the highest Memorial Day weekend travel volume since 2005.
This drastic increase is also being mirrored in the Pikes Peak region. The most recent report for Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax collections is up 19.72 percent YTD over 2016. Data from the Rocky Mountain Lodging Report, a sampling of 39 various properties within Colorado Springs, shows occupancy is up 3.3 percent YTD. In 2015, the Pikes Peak region welcomed 20.1 million day and overnight visitors who spent a total of $1.976 billion. Visitation and spending numbers for 2016 will be available in June.
This all on the heels of Garden of the Gods Park being named the number one park in the country by TripAdvisor users, Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain receiving the Experts’ Choice Award from TripExpert and Colorado Springs being heralded as the number two most desirable place to live by U.S. News and World Report. The Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, the official tourism marketing arm of the City, continues to tout the power of tourism, and invite business, sports, special event and leisure travelers to the Pikes Peak region. “Travel marketing is a highly competitive business. Whether through our mobile-first website, multiple trade shows, media placements, hosted media trips, or social media efforts, we are selling this destination 24 hours a day, seven days a week and then some,” states CVB President & CEO Doug Price.
When people travel, they can choose from international, national and regional destinations, and that means being top-of-mind is key to capturing the attention of decision-makers. The CVB continues to innovate ways to garner attention and funding to tell the Colorado Springs story through advertising, trade shows, social media co-ops and targeted campaigns such as the Crafts & Drafts Passport that highlights the best local breweries and distilleries.
Locals and visitor alike will enjoy a weekend filled with festivals such as Territory Days, the Create Cañon City Balloon Classic and the MeadowGrass Music Festival. For a complete list of holiday weekend events, go to VisitCOS.com/memorialday. To learn how tourism positively impacts our economy, go to VisitCOS.com/Tourism-Pays.
