Though final numbers aren’t expected until next month, early reports indicate this summer was a record-breaking sizzle for Pikes Peak regional tourism.
2024 was bolstered by special events like the Paris Summer Olympics (every four years) or the Pikes Peak Regional Air Show (every two years), but large crowds still came to the area for annual affairs.
“We’re a city that relies very much on sales tax. As visitors come in, they’re spending money in our restaurants and hotels, in our shops and galleries,” said Doug Price, president and CEO of Visit COS, the city’s tourism office. “And we do know from research that the sales tax that gets collected from visitors saves the average family of four almost $1,000 a year on their tax bill.”
Overall, Price said tourism brings in about $2.9 billion a year in visitor spending, which is a big boon for the Pike Peak region’s small businesses, he added.
Price said the summer began strong with what he referred to as “record-breaking attendance” at Territory Days in Old Colorado City over Memorial Day Weekend.