<\/p>\n
The local tourism industry could be facing a tougher road next year after a strong 2015 season.<\/p>\n
Through September, the city has seen a 6 percent increase in sales tax collections and a 6.5 percent increase in lodgers taxes compared with the same period last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to feel good about,\u201d said Bob Kunkel, executive director of the Durango Area Tourism Office.<\/p>\n
But the tourism atmosphere could be changing, he told a gathering of tourism professionals Friday at the Durango Public Library.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect more headwind in 2016,\u201d Kunkel said.<\/p>\n
Negative press from the Gold King Mine spill, uncertainty around gas prices, a reduced marketing budget and a changing perception of downtown because of panhandling are all challenges for Durango, he said.<\/p>\n
If all the negative articles about the mine spill had been paid for through ads, about $4 million would have been spent, said Ann Klein, public relations consultant for DATO. This is an estimate based on the industry standards used in public relations.<\/p>\n
All this press had the potential to reach 33 million people based on the circulation of the publications, she said.<\/p>\n
To help combat the negative press, DATO has been trying to distribute pictures of the clear Animas River. A moose standing in the middle of the river last September near downtown Durango boosted those efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hero of this for me has been the moose,\u201d Klein said.<\/p>\n
DATO is also working to set up a live feed of the river so people can see it for themselves, she said.<\/p>\n
DATO staff members also outlined some of their plans for marketing in the new year.<\/p>\n
While the DATO budget will be down, Kunkel expects it to be focused on key geographic areas so it can be effective.<\/p>\n
In 2016, DATO expects to have a total budget of $984,100, slightly below the $1.1 million the office had in 2015.<\/p>\n
As a result of the Gold King Mine spill, DATO is applying for about $345,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency. If this money is received, it will help fund marketing efforts, Kunkel said.<\/p>\n
In the new year, the office hopes to expand advertising efforts into Southern California and Midwestern states, where the office staff members see strong potential.<\/p>\n
Most of the office\u2019s requests for a travel planning literature are coming from Texas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri and Arizona.<\/p>\n
To attract international travelers, the office will continue advertising in Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom because they don\u2019t have funding to expand into new markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019ve got less, you pull it closer to home,\u201d Kunkel said.<\/p>\n
Aside from marketing, there are many factors that affect the tourism industry that can\u2019t be controlled including gas prices.<\/p>\n
If the price of driving to Durango stays low, it could be a boon for the industry.<\/p>\n