The results of a city of Durango-sponsored survey showed that Durango residents want the city to focus more on resolving the negative impacts of tourism and less on marketing the area.
The city ignores those concerns in its proposed “Tourism Commission” ordinance with a stated goal to “foster the growth of tourism” and primary duties are to “enhance and expand the city’s tourism industry” and “promote the city as a tourist destination.”
Additionally, the commission’s proposed structure ensures that business interests will outvote resident interests by allocating the majority of seats to tourism-based business interests.
The commission also provides a dedicated seat to Purgatory Ski Resort, which is outside the city limits and provides no city tax revenue for sales outside those limits.
The city needs to find a better balance between business and residents’ interests. While pushing for more tourist dollars, the city has increased housing and living costs, traffic congestion, development in areas prone to wildfires, and decreased the quality of life for residents.
Durango already benefits from a steady stream of tourists. Instead of a tourism commission, the city should appoint a sustainability or innovation commission whose purpose is to find a balance between business interests and current residents’ quality of life with a goal of preserving the qualities that attract people to this area.
The city should include the county in any tourism-related commission. Durango residents are also county residents and are affected by both governments’ decisions. The city and county should be collaborating on these issues.
Leslie Barnhart
Durango
