As a downtown business owner, this time of year marks a big transition for my business.  The tourists are mostly gone, and while we hope to see some sales over the holidays, the next four months are going to be slower.  Winter is coming and life in the valley gets quiet.  For most of, summer/fall is the time to make money, and squirrel it away for the winter.   

For the next several columns, I want to talk about tourism.  Tourism is an important part of our community and the Alamosa economy.  And there is a lot going on in tourism.  I plan to write about the different ways that tourism shows up, how it is changing, and how we can work together as a community to “get it right.”   

Right now, there is an opportunity for you to get engaged.  Visit Alamosa is soliciting your input on a Five-Year Strategic Plan for tourism that is in the works.   

Who is Visit Alamosa? 

Visit Alamosa is the entity that has the pulse on local tourism.  They are the Destination Management Organization (DMO) that oversees Alamosa County’s Local Marketing District.  The director, Kale Mortensen, leads a team of professionals who are committed to our community.  Visit Alamosa is overseen by an all-volunteer Board of Directors appointed by Alamosa County Commissioners.  Visit Alamosa’s operating budget comes from taxes paid by visitors (not county residents).  I will write more about Visit Alamosa next month. 

Strategic Plan Public Feedback 

Visit Alamosa is developing a 5-year strategic plan.  Why is this important?  Tourism has significant impact on our community.  The visitor not only spends money in our hotels, restaurants and shops, but their purchases contribute to local taxes.  For example, in 2024, visitors spent $74.4M in Alamosa County.  This generated roughly $4.9M in taxes.  Tourism has an impact on businesses, local residents, and our quality of life.   Alamosa County and Visit Alamosa see more changes coming.  Now is the time to better understand where tourism is heading and how we can best shape it for our community.  

Over these past few months, workshops and outreach efforts with community partners (business entities, non-profits, GSDNP, visitors, etc.) were conducted.  These efforts combined with a Resident Sentiment Survey, resulted in over 690 inputs into the plan.  

In October, the first public draft of the strategic plan was released.  Our community partners have reviewed it and now it’s time for your input!  

The plan is centered around Visit Alamosa’s WHY statement. We love our community and strive to improve the quality of life by enhancing and sharing the Alamosa Experience. The key focus areas for growth of tourism in Alamosa County is organized into five strategic Pillars: 

Pillar 1: Enhanced Visitor Experience and Longer Stays. We look to strengthen the appeal of Alamosa County and instead of bringing more visitors, we look to generate longer stays. 

Pillar 2: Year-Round Tourism Growth. Summer in Alamosa can be busy, our restaurants, shops and hotels see the majority of traffic in the summer months. This strategic pillar looks to find ways to spread that visitation trend out, bring business and visitors in the shoulder season and off-season. 

Pillar 3: Tourism Partner Development and Prosperity. Visit Alamosa cannot do this alone, and we have great partners in our region. By fostering collaboration, improving access to resources, and enhancing professional development, the strategy seeks to ensure that local tourism partners can grow sustainably and thrive in a competitive market. 

Pillar 4: Community Engagement and Resident Benefits. We want to ensure tourism can enhance the quality of life for residents while strengthening community pride and participation.  

Pillar 5: Destination Stewardship and Institutional Collaboration. This pillar focuses on building strong partnerships that guide Alamosa County’s sustainable growth and long-term destination development. By aligning tourism efforts with community priorities, cultural institutions, and regional organizations, the strategy emphasizes shared responsibility for preserving the area’s natural and cultural assets. 

We look forward to hearing from you on how we can help shape the future of tourism to benefit businesses, organizations and most importantly, the community. You can find the Draft Strategy and Feedback Survey at www.alamosa.org/blog/help-shape-the-future-of-tourism-in-alamosa-county/ 

Have a question? Reach out to the Visit Alamosa team kale@alamosa.org 719-589-9385. 

Deb Hankinson is Chairperson for the Local Marketing District / Visit Alamosa Board of Directors.