ACRA Releases Aspen Destination Management Plan

Aspen, CO (March 7, 2022) — Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) announces the release of the Aspen Destination Management Plan (ADMP), the result of a seven month long engagement process led by ACRA and facilitated by Destination Think. The ADMP will be presented to Aspen City Council in a work session on Tuesday, March 15.

ACRA’s vision is to create an environment for Aspen to thrive. ACRA has always been about serving the needs of the community and providing a dynamic Aspen experience for residents and visitors alike. In recent years, the needs of the community have changed, and beginning as early as 2015, ACRA began to shift priorities from destination marketing to destination management working towards a more sustainable tourism landscape.

The ADMP aims to protect the quality of life for our residents and preserve the very reason people enjoy coming to Aspen. The plan builds from and accelerates ACRA’s successes from the shift to destination management. As a community plan, developed from resident and stakeholder input, it will require action across institutions and partner organizations.

As Eliza Voss, Vice President of Destination Marketing indicates: “ACRA is ready to evolve and execute recommendations with partner support which will build resilience and sustainability into our economy and ensure that we are bringing value to all who live, work, and play in Aspen. We look forward to working aside our many stakeholders to lead, partner, and advocate as appropriate for beneficial outcomes that will protect the quality of life for our residents while preserving the very reason people enjoy living and visiting our valley.”

The ADMP engagement process began in July of 2021 and included extensive desk-side research, 10 one-on-one interviews, two tourism town halls, two co-creation labs, an ACRA staff workshop and 1299 resident surveys. The results of the robust community input informed the pillars of the plan and related strategies. The plan is meant to serve the community and all the audiences that it encompasses. It is a fluid document that will continue to evolve and take shape based on the needs of the community and ACRA’s working knowledge of the destination.

The three pillars identified by the plan are

•          Address Visitor Pressure

•          Enhance the Aspen Experience

•          Preserve Small-town Character

Under each pillar, there are strategic priorities that have been recommended by Destination Think to help ACRA move forward to address the community-identified challenges that Aspen faces. ACRA will take on a lead, advocate, or partner role on such issues as enhanced visitor education, improving the resident and visitor experience, catalyzing sustainable choices and diversifying visitor markets. 

In addition, ACRA is working to translate these strategies into a creative framework which will encapsulate the Defy Ordinary brand promise and reflect the sentiment that our residents have been heard, and we are taking meaningful action to address their deepest concerns.

The destination management plan was paid for by ACRA’s destination marketing department which is under contract with the City of Aspen to provide destination management services for Aspen.

About ACRA 

Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) is a 501 c (6) that functions as a hybrid chamber of commerce and destination marketing organization. ACRA is dedicated to creating an environment for Aspen to thrive. The destination marketing department is funded through 75% of a 2% lodging tax.

Aspen, Colorado is an authentic, historic mountain town that is renowned for its outdoor lifestyle, robust cultural calendar, and vibrant downtown ambiance. Aspen’s small-town charm appeals to residents and visitors alike. Located 18 miles east of Independence Pass, Aspen is nestled in the heart of the White River National Forest at the confluence of the Roaring Fork River, Hunter Creek, Maroon Creek, and Castle Creek, and encircled by the peaks of the Elk Mountain Range in the central Rocky Mountains.

For more information visit www.aspenchamber.org or call 970-925-1940.

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