Snow Expected To Boost Colorado's Tourism Industry
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - The latest round of snow should help boost Colorado's tourism industry, which is just behind agriculture as one of the state's top money makers.
The state says it generates $364 in tax revenue for every household in Colorado, and last year there was a record number of visitors to Colorado.
After being dry for nearly 50 weeks of this year, the past two have been full of snow, and in Breckenridge that's meant salvaging the year for businesses.
"Certainly things have gotten much better, much faster," small business owner Steve Lapinsohn said.
With significant snowfall back in the high country, it hasn't taken long for businesses to bounce back after a lackluster 2012.
"We kind of figured if it didn't start snowing by say the 14th or 15th, we were going to get pretty worried," Lapinsohn said.
Lapinsohn owns three clothing stores along Main Street in Frisco.
"Last year we had tons of merchandise left over, so it made it pretty tough," he said.
The Breckenridge Resort Chamber says shoppers are also filling hotel rooms, outpacing other winter destinations.
"We've seen a lot of calls," Scott Fortner with the Breckenridge Resort Chamber said. "Even today people are calling for last-minute availability. Even for New Year's Eve we're up 25 percent compared to this time last year."
With snow still falling, expectations are ringing louder for the new year holiday.
"I think we'll probably be maybe 90 to 95 percent occupancy for the holidays overall, which is great for us," Fortner said.
Fortner says he thinks the upswing started with the Dew Tour, a big ski and snowboarding event that featured some snow on TV. Then the storm track just kept bringing snow.
Everyone is just hoping there's not a repeat of last year and that snow will continue to fall.
