As a former employee of the Durango Area Tourism Office for over eight years, primarily at the Visitor Center, I believe it would be a colossal mistake to further reduce staff or close the Visitor Center in Santa Rita Park. Thousands of visitors arrive in the area without hotel, motel, RV or camping site reservations and the visitor center is usually their first stop.
Santa Rita Park is convenient, easily accessed, has plenty of parking, a picnic area, a playground and is near the river. In my experience, we were able to provide accommodation choices and details to persuade visitors to stay or stay longer, thus generating increased lodgers tax (which is DATO’s budget source) and other local spending. We also provided more printed information on area activities than the downtown Welcome Center, furthering discussion opportunities to entice longer stays. Additionally, I found the vast majority of visitors to the Welcome Center already had lodging accommodations and had settled in before finding the Welcome Center.
Maybe the visitor center needs more support. One last thought, where would the RVs park in downtown in order to stop in at the Welcome Center?
Sandra Kolb
Durango
