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Tourism in Aspen: Residents to give input through chamber survey

Survey to cover Aspen experience, small town character, liveability

Beaver First Nation member Nipiy Iskwew (left) and Bigstone Cree Nation member Melody McArthur (right) will perform in Bear Grease Live, an indigenous version of Grease, the broadway musical. The off-broadway show is one example of the multitude of high-profile events hosted in Aspen.
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale/The Aspen Times

What’s the balance between a thriving tourism industry and a liveable town?

“If there wasn’t tourism here … I don’t think that we would be making as much, or there wouldn’t be a demand for as many workers here,” said Lucas Hall, who lives and works in Aspen. 

In the past residents have favored tourism, understanding its importance to the economy of Aspen, said Eliza Voss, vice president of Destination Marketing at the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, who referenced a 2022-2023 survey conducted by the Chamber. 



Aspen residents and workers will once again get a chance to give their input about Aspen tourism in a continuation of the survey, which opened Monday and can be found on the Aspen Chamber website. The Chamber serves as a cross between a chamber of commerce and a destination marketing organization for Aspen.

Residents shared mixed views on tourism Monday.




Tourism brings events to the town which drives community engagement, said Paige Kruger, who lives and works in Aspen.

“I think that’s a good part about the town, that’s, like, why I’m here,” Kruger said, adding, “Especially in the summer, they have good events.”

Beaver First Nation member Nipiy Iskwew (left) and Bigstone Cree Nation member Melody McArthur (right) filmed comedy and musical sketched Monday in Aspen. From Edmonton, Canada, they will return this summer for Bear Grease Live, an indigenous version of Grease, the broadway musical.
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale/The Aspen Times

Though tourism brings ample events to town and drives an increase in wages, it also increases cost of living. As the Chamber notes, the housing crisis “deeply affects the visitor economy and is in large part driven by the visitor economy.” 

“Housing just keeps going up,” Kruger said. 

Through the survey, the Chamber seeks to gain insight and pursue their continued goal of increasing community resilience, protecting residents’ quality of life, and preserving the allure of Aspen.

“A lot of the same reasons people live here are why people like to come here,” Voss said. “… there’s a unique community feel, there’s a proper downtown, (a) walkable destination — and we want to preserve that experience.”

Another goal of the survey is to measure the effectiveness of Aspen’s Destination Management Plan, Voss said. 

The plan puts forth three pillars of focus. It seeks to address visitor pressure, advocating for a consistent and structured approach to tourism; to enhance the visitor experience, ensuring experiences are advantageous for both residents and visitors; and to preserve Aspen’s small-town character, contributing to solutions for the housing crisis and other character-threatening issues.

Voss said the Chamber will take action regarding insights they gain from the community survey as soon as May, when they expect to get the results.

They have so far taken various actions to improve tourist-experience and resident-liveability. As identified in the Destination Management Plan, the Chamber advocated for a short-term rental property tax, where funds would be allocated toward affordable housing initiatives. The tax passed in the November 2022 election. They also hosted in 2023 a Habitat for Humanity Inaugural Regional Summit about solutions for equitable housing in the valley and surrounding area.

The Chamber’s other Destination Management Plan actions include gathering feedback from residents (such as in the survey this winter) enhancing visitor education, improving the experience of visitors and residents, preserving the natural environment, reducing the tourism-related carbon footprint, diversifying visitor markets, and more.

But Voss said maintaining a blossoming tourism industry in Aspen and keeping the city liveable is a balancing act.

“Trying to find the harmony between the two is difficult,” she said.

Residents and workers can give input via the Chamber’s survey until March at aspenchamber.org/survey.