Durango was the most loved tourism destination in Colorado in 2021, according to a data system called Tourism Sentiment Index that helped analyze more than 1 billion online conversations, media posts and stories earlier this year.
Rachel Brown, executive director of Visit Durango, shared the news with Durango City Council at last week. Not only did Durango rank No. 1 for Colorado travel destinations, but the city ranked No. 7 in the United States and No. 36 worldwide, out of 21,330 participating destinations.
The Tourism Sentiment Index is data software that Visit Durango subscribes to in order to capture “quality-of-life metrics,” she said. It tracks online conversations, social media websites and news stories. It gauges whether mentions of destinations are positive or negative.
The city is outpacing its performance from last year, with an improved index score of 31 in the first quarter of 2022 compared with an index score of 28 in 2021.
The scores are on a scale of negative 100 to positive 100, so a score of 31 isn’t as bad as it might sound, she said. By comparison, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, scores in the mid-40s.
“If you have a score as high as we do, that means your destination brand promise exceeded visitor expectations and ultimately the destination experience,” she said.
Rachel Welsh, spokeswoman for Visit Durango, said the tourism office is proud of its high ranking.
“We plan to continue to utilize the feedback of our residents and work with local organizations to ensure Durango and La Plata County is a destination that is loved and welcoming to all,” she said in an email on Tuesday.
In other tourism-related news, Brown was appointed by Gov. Jared Polis to the Colorado Tourism Office’s board of directors to represent the destination marketing industry, she said. The appointment came after Brown received her sustainable tourism professional certification earlier this year.
“An important piece of this is there is only one seat on there for DMMO’s (destination management and marketing organizations),” Brown said. “So it is a big deal for Durango that we were chosen as the one destination to fill that seat.”
The state tourism board oversees the Colorado Tourism Office and is made up of 11 governor-appointed members and four legislators, Welsh said.
She said Brown’s appointment is “exciting and notable news for Durango.”
She said La Plata County is considered an “integral partner” of Colorado’s tourism and visitor industry and that it serves as a “model tourism destination.”
In Brown’s new role on the state tourism board, she will help work with other board members to shape policy and guide “fiscal integrity, advocacy and creating a cohesive Colorado tourism strategy,” Welsh said.
Welsh said Visit Durango has been a destination management office – versus a destination marketing office – for three years.
A marketing office, she said, focuses on advertising, marketing and positive economic growth for local businesses. A destination management and marketing organization also allocates resources to manage the environmental impacts of tourism and takes into account resident feedback and sentiment.
Destination management aims for “true sustainability” by accounting for the natural environment, residents and local culture and the economy, Welsh said.
“We work with local organizations to create programs, training and event sponsorships to help create a thriving community and improve resident quality of life,” she said.
Visit Durango has partnered with numerous organizations to meet the criteria for being a destination management organization, including San Juan Mountain Association, Durango Trails, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Adaptive Sports Association, Center for Southwest Independence, Four Corners Alliance for Diversity, the Business Improvement District and others, she said.
cburney@durangoherald.com
