Business owners and the latest statistics agree: Durango’s economy is booming in 2014.
The city’s lodgers tax for the year so far – January through June – has raised $288,376, an increase of 14.6 percent compared with the first six months of 2013.
“We are definitely seeing lots of tourist traffic,” said Jack Llewellyn, executive director of the Durango Chamber of Commerce.
The city’s sales-tax revenue also is up, indicating restaurants and businesses have benefitted from a high visitor count. Sales-tax revenue for June increased 5.2 percent from last year. Year-to-date, sales tax is up 5.6 percent from last year.
Also, according to information released by the Durango Area Tourism Office, traffic is up at the Welcome Center at Eighth Street and Main Avenue. The center’s visitation head count was 10,922 for June, the highest monthly total this year.
Kris Oyler, co-owner of Steamworks Brewing Co. and El Moro Spirits and Tavern, said Steamworks’ revenue increased 5 percent in June compared with last year and 7 percent thus far in July compared with last year.
Though Oyler doesn’t keep exact track of how many customers are tourists and how many are local, the bulk of people coming in this season are out-of-town visitors, he said.
Similarly, Carver Brewing Co. has seen an increase in revenue. Co-owner Mike Hurst said the restaurant had its best June ever. He described it as a “gangbuster” season. Year-to-date, revenue is up 30 percent compared with last July, he said. However, business was slow last year because of a series of wildfires in the area, he said. Last July was “soft” for business.
Most of the clientele are tourists, Hurst said, though local residents always are a fixture in the restaurant.
“It’s tourist season, and we are filling a strong tourism market,” he said. “The locals always come, but the tourism market is squashing that.”
Peter Marshall, general manager at DoubleTree Hotel, said summer is its busiest season. He has noticed a steady recovery from the recession years. Since then, the town has been busy, and the hotel has recovered well.
Rod Barker, owner of the Strater Hotel, said this year’s economy is stronger than in previous years. The Strater and other hotels have experienced a larger occupancy this year because people can afford to go on vacation.
Still, people don’t just come to Durango for the lodging, Barker said, though it seems the city has been creating more supply for visitors with the addition of two lodging facilities.
The newest additions are the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites and Homewood Suites.
The lodgers tax, currently at 2 percent, is paid by patrons of local hotels and motels. The city uses the tax to fund the Durango Area Tourism Office and other city expenditures, including the Transit Center’s free trolley.
“People don’t travel to a town because of the supply of hotels. They are drawn to the amenities,” Barker said. And various organizations have improved their outreach to bring people in, he said.
He attributes the high visitor count to the successful marketing tactics of the Durango Area Tourism Office and other local organizations.
The Durango Business Improvement District has done well at supporting festivals and activities that draw visitors downtown, Barker said.
Llewellyn said he has seen a lot of activity at Santa Rita Park. The Visitor Center is a popular stop for people who plan their trips to Durango, he said, and a lot of them ask questions about popular activities and where to find their hotels.
Llewellyn said a couple years ago, he noticed few visitors with shopping bags because of tight finances. This year, people are spending money, he said.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
