Durango turns to gift cards as a tourism incentive
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DURANGO, Colo. — Visitors who stay three or more nights in La Plata County from Sunday to Thursday can now receive a $100 gift card to spend at local businesses.
Visit Durango, which promotes tourism in Durango and La Plata County, launched the promotion last month. Guests can pick up the digital gift card at the Durango Welcome Center by showing proof of lodging, such as a hotel, RV park or short-term rental receipt.
The card is valid at about 100 in-person businesses, including restaurants, bookstores, gift shops and outdoor recreation companies.
Colorado mountain towns have tried to navigate the downsides of tourism in recent years; high visitor traffic further exacerbated high country housing and labor shortages. As The Colorado Sun reported in 2021, tourism offices in places like Crested Butte, Breckenridge and Telluride have transitioned from tourism marketing to tourism management.
Moreover, rapidly changing trade and immigration policies from the Trump administration have led to wariness from overseas travelers, according to Colorado Public Radio. Chris Romer, CEO of the Vail Valley Partnership, told CPR News that month-to-month hotel bookings have fluctuated depending on the latest political headlines.
Visit Durango hopes the gift card incentive is a win-win: extend visitor’s stays in the area while also supporting local businesses.
Employees at Animas Trading Co., a local clothing store on Main Avenue, said customers use the gift card at least once a week.
“We’re a super tight knit community, so it’s really fun to be able to have a customer come here, spend a few dollars on their gift card and then we can point people in the direction of businesses that we personally like,” said Singaawen Boggess, the store’s social media manager.
Grace Vale, manager of the Durango Welcome Center, said the gift cards are a way to put money back into the community.
“We have plenty of folks staying over Friday and Saturday, so this is a promotion to help increase that stay from just one or two days to three days,” she said.
Vale estimates that 2 million people visit the county each year. During peak summer months, the Welcome Center sees about 4,000 visitors per month.
Visit Durango, the city’s official tourism organization, is funded primarily by the City of Durango’s 5.25% lodgers’ tax and La Plata County’s 2% lodgers’ tax. In 2023, the organization received $1.9 million from the city tax and $924,000 from the county tax.
This is the first time Durango has offered a visitor incentive like this. So far, more than 100 cards have been distributed.
In the past, incentives of this kind have targeted people on the other side of the tourism industry: local workers. Employers have offered incentives such as hiring bonuses and subsidized rents, but those sometimes aren’t enough in areas where workforce housing is extremely limited.
Other Colorado mountain towns have also launched programs to support local tourism and businesses. For example, Ridgway and Mancos became state-designated Creative Districts, unlocking grants that boost arts, culture and visitor spending.
Vale said Durango’s program will likely continue through the end of the year, depending on funding.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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