Those opposing the lodgers tax give the same reason why you should vote “No” on Ballot Question 1-A: “We don’t need more tourists!”

What most people don’t realize is that Sustainable Tourism Marketing, as it’s proposed in the ballot language, is not the mechanism that will turn us into an Aspen or Breckenridge; it is the vehicle that will prevent us from becoming that.

In order to avoid “overtourism” we need to manage it. And tourism management is not free. Visit Durango and the City need to be adequately resourced to prevent overtourism. The increased funding of 1-A is what will get us there. Another thing I hear a lot is, “Look how many tourists came in 2020; we don’t need to advertise Durango.” That is an oversimplification of a complex issue. For better or worse, La Plata County had a lot of unique draws during the pandemic. Being a remote, rural and popular road-trip destination with an abundance of outdoor recreation gave us a special appeal that brought visitors throughout the pandemic.

In a post-COVID-19 world, those unique attributes are not going to have as much appeal. Competition for travelers is going to be fierce for the next several years and if we are going to have a fighting chance, we need the lodgers tax increase. So when people say “Vote No on 1-A because we don’t need more tourists,” they are either misinformed or just plain don’t have the facts.

Jack LlewellynDurango