‘A tough summer in a lot of ways'

Probably the best thing that could be said about the 2008 summer tourism season is that it could have been worse.

Attractions and destinations in the Pikes Peak region had high hopes entering the summer that travelers would shrug off the rising price of gas and the faltering economy and enjoy their summer vacations in something approaching their typical numbers.

Instead, a slow start to the summer season and an early drop-off as children headed back to school meant that most Pikes Peak-area attractions were down slightly or significantly for the season.

"I've never seen a tougher summer in a lot of ways," said Spencer Wren, manager of the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway.

"It's been a real struggle all year long."

The summer developed an odd pattern, Wren said, with short, busy spurts, followed by long, lonely days. Business at the cog railway was offi 4 percent in June and July, he said.

Then the spate of bad weather in early August really killed the month, with business down 10 percent, Wren said.

The cog railway's experience is typical, said Michele Carvell, executive director of the Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association.

Most local attractions, Carvell said, reported visitor numbers and sales were down anywhere from 3 percent to 20 percent.

"Realistically, everyone is going to be lower than they were in 2007," Carvell said.

"When you factor everything in, gas was high, the economy was poor, it was what we expected. It was not bad as it could it have been."

A lot of residents of Colorado Springs might say "good riddance" to the tourists that clog local roads and slow down to gawk at the mountains, but tourism is the area's third-largest industry, according to Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak - the convention and visitors bureau - employing more than 14,000 people and generating $1.1 billion in revenue annually.

Colorado Springs is mostly a driving destination, however, attracting visitors from within Colorado and from nearby states.

That leaves the area's tourism especially exposed to the rise and fall of gas prices.

The Pikes Peak Highway is a good barometer for the region (see chart on cover).

Its daily visitor totals mark the ebb and flow of tourists to the area. And gas prices can really put the hurt on a highway to the sky.

"I think the year was good ... considering the gas prices and the problems with the economy," said Jack Glavan, acting manager for the highway.

"We put a little more emphasis on local tourism and trying to attract local people. We don't know for sure if that actually worked."

Hotels experienced a mixed bag over the summer: Room occupancy rates were up 1.5 percentage points in May, down 1.6 percentage points in June, then back up 0.5 percentage points in July, according to the Rocky Mountain Lodging Report. Revenue is up 4 percent for the year, according to Experience Colorado Springs.

Given that 2007 was a record year for most attractions in the region, being off just a few percent is a kind of victory, said Mike Bandera, general manager for the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. Bandera said his attendance was off about 2 percent, while revenue was flat compared with last year.

"We consider that a pretty good year," he said.

One bright spot was the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, where attendance was up more than 20 percent over 2007, thanks mostly to the zoo's new Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit, according to the zoo.

An industry that did not have a good year was whitewater rafting.

It's a disappointment, considering that the Arkansas River basin had its biggest snowpack and highest water in a decade this summer.

It ended up being too much of a good thing, said Tony Keenan, owner of Whitewater Adventure Outfitters in Cañon City, because the Royal Gorge was closed for nearly three weeks because of high water.

Keenan's business was off about 10 percent for the summer, much of that due to the high water in June.

With the gorge closed, he explained, raft companies could still run trips on other sections of the river, but not every customer understood the difference.

"Having the gorge closed was difficult," he said.

"The rumor mill was saying, ‘The river was closed,' not ‘The gorge was closed.'"

There are no special lessons to learn from the summer, said Tom Haggard, owner of Santa's Workshop near the Pikes Peak Highway.

Gas prices kept people home, and there's nothing an attraction can do but wait for better times.

"I've been here a long time, I've seen it before," Haggard said.

"You could tell from the very beginning it was going to be a challenge."

-

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0275 or awineke@gazette.com