Set Meeting Times/Meeting Place:
San Juan Room, Ouray Community Center: Wednesdays 9am - 12pm.
Next Meeting February 13th.
We discussed the Longwood Study : Here are the ideas that floated while reading/discussing the data.
Focus on pleasure trips, not business (2006)
- Overnight visitors rising
- Business
- Friends and relatives
- Pleasure Trips
- Outdoor and ski trips
- CO 9th in nation for outdoor trips
- CO Top ski destination in US
Concerns
- Shorter trips
- Touring trips dropped behind outdoors
- Ensure visitors see beyond cost factor
- CO generally expensive
Potential for bundling
- Ouray pass – pool, mine tour, Box Canyon, etc.
- Entertainment book idea
“House guest” potential - Locals bring guests
- Local role as hosts, 30% stay in private homes
- Provide house guest spending benefits (coupons, discounts, etc.)
- easy, less expensive advertising
Shuttle service to/from Telluride
- Throw in a pool pass
- Connect with ice climbing
- Ski passes at 42% discount
- Package for ski business
Things we have here that are not in survey
- Working Artisans
- Museum – highly recognized as “one of the best”
- Arts organizations
Spending
- Vacationer spending rising up 10%
- 30% stay in private homes
Trip to state is fairly lengthy
- 300 mile radius includes Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque
- ½ the people who come here plan at least 3 months before
- Airline subsidy by Telluride
- Concern that Ouray County may be asked to pay for a portion
Under 7% of CO tourists took advantage of pre-paid packages
Visitors – where from, why did you come here, how long are you staying, need data
Ouraycolorado.com on cellular phone; Caleb has already started work on this and he is farther along than we knew. Some of ouraycolorado.com is popping up on cell phone.
Using internet, not travel agency
Outdoor vacationers, most originate in state, below average expenditure (less than $65 per day)
Entertainment and climate are low priority
Bring out mining history, Indian heritage
Rest stop/restrooms with videos
Once they get here we need to engage them to stay, go to museum, stay for dinner
Embrace the stuff that’s “hokey”
- Coachlight was red light
- Popsicle invented at variety store
- Alvin Ficco ran liquor from Gold Belt to Western
- Tunnels
Cultural heritage – HUGE (57%)
- More often from out-of-state visitors
- History and natural preservation most often mentioned by cultural heritage visitors
Supplement in newspaper on what to do with visitors
June negatives
- Kids not yet out of school
- Jeep trails not fully open
June positives
- Waterfalls, golf, and Trio Soliste
- Need to work on June
- Come before school is out
- Target DINKS – double income, no kids; like adventure
Do we collect any data at the visitors center?
- Give the visitors something for their input
Publicize history – Smokin Joe, Chief Ouray, historical events, stay longer ideas
- Need to publicize what to do in Ouray to locals too. Give them ideas for VFRs. Newspaper articles are necessary.
- MP3 Walking Tour
Hospitality Training -- Make every local tourist friendly
- Work to be more accommodating
- Know more about shops, restaurants, attractions
- Word of mouth huge -- how to capture that good feeling, personal experience
Important for the person at the front desk to know what’s going on
Four wheel – not in a growth mode?
Birdwatching
Eating and drinking – fastest growth area in Ouray
Promote history of hot springs pool
Walking tour with MP3 player – Telluride uses
Can we capitalize on mining history?
What goes into planning a trip to Ouray? (50% plan trip 3 months in advance)
- Tabletop exercise
- Planning guide on web
- Chronology of planning activities and materials
- What to do in the rain?
We should be charging $200 per night
Need more itineraries.
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Actions/ To Dos...
Need web sessions from 2007. Karen/Lora/Barb will start to gather.
Visitor Statistics: Karen to share Box Canyon Lodge Stats with folks on Demographics.
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