Introduction
In 2024, Visit Estes Park continued evolving as a data-driven Destination Marketing and Management Organization, aligning our strategic efforts with real-time analytics and long-term community priorities. With our mission rooted in sustainable tourism growth and resident quality of life, the year’s work reflects a thoughtful blend of innovation and partnership.
The state of the destination remains strong, with insights from Placer AI and Tourism Economics revealing evolving visitor patterns, travel trends, and opportunities for growth during traditionally slower periods. A new lodging inventory study gave a detailed view of an important component of Estes Park’s hospitality industry. Visa and sector-level business spending supported a comprehensive understanding of traveler behavior, informing everything from our marketing strategies to community outreach.
Our marketing efforts strategically combined paid, earned, and owned media, resulting in dynamic storytelling that inspired responsible visitation to our community throughout the year. These efforts highlighted an authentic, vibrant community with a variety of things to do in every season and demonstrated a positive economic impact on local businesses.
Tourism continued to fuel the local economy, with data confirming increased visitor spending and resilient lodging tax revenues. These dollars not only support local businesses but also directly benefit the community through reinvestment in essential services and infrastructure.
Central to our goals in 2024 was our commitment to the Extend the Season initiative. Events such as Frozen Dead Guy Days and Catch the Glow were instrumental in drawing visitors beyond the peak visitation months. We also explored new event concepts and collaborative opportunities designed to balance visitor flows and enrich the off-peak experience.
Our community relations team played a vital role in supporting local events, strengthening relationships through stakeholder engagement, and launching new initiatives to ensure tourism benefits residents and visitors. This included close work with businesses, public partners, and local leaders to promote shared success.
Through advocacy and sustainability, Visit Estes Park championed responsible visitation, investing in programs that protect our natural resources and preserve the Estes Park experience for future generations. These values remained a guiding principle in all outreach and operational decisions.
Finally, finance and administration efforts maintained strong fiscal stewardship, with lodging tax collections providing a solid foundation to execute the organization’s strategic goals. Transparent budgeting and efficient resource management ensured that every dollar was used to maximize impact.
As we reflect on 2024, we recognize the collective power of collaboration between data and creativity, between visitors and residents, and between short-term wins and long-term vision. We’re proud of the positive impact our work has had on the Estes Park community and recognize the responsibility that comes with this important work. As we look forward, we are committed to continuing to support the community in moving toward a strong and sustainable future for the Estes Valley.
Finally, we are thankful for the collaboration of our partners, stakeholders, the Town of Estes Park, and the Larimer County Commissioners for their continued trust and partnership.
Sincerely,
Mike Zumbaugh Director of Finance/Interim CEO
Visit Estes Park
LARIMER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
John Kefalas. District I
Kristin Stephens. District II, Chair
Jody Shadduck-McNally. District III, Chair Pro Tem
TOWN OF ESTES PARK BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Gary Hall, Mayor
Marie Cenac, Mayor Pro Tem
Bill Brown, Trustee
Kirby Hazelton, Trustee
Mark Igel, Trustee
Frank Lancaster, Trustee
Cindy Younglund, Trustee
VISIT ESTES PARK BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sean Jurgens, Chair
Deborah Gibson, Vice Chair
Jerusha Rice, Treasurer & Secretary
Kirby Hazelton, Town Trustee & Director
Pat Murphy, Director
Rich Chiappe, Director
Nick Smith, Director
VISIT ESTES PARK STAFF
Mike Zumbaugh, Interim CEO & Finance Director
Rebecca Domenico-Gelsinger, Operations Director
Cindy Mackin, Community Engagement Director
Rachel Ward Oppermann, Marketing Director
Dana Paiement, Sr. Destination Development Manager
Kendall Akin, Creative Manager
John Berry, Photographer
Papae Litchfield, Communications Manager
State of the Destination
VISITATION BY THE NUMBERS
61% of trips occur on Weekdays
Since 2022, the total number of visitors each year has remained steady while the number of visits they make to the destination has decreased.
4.2 MILLION VISITS TO RMNP 0.9% from 2023
LODGING AVAILABILITY
Visit Estes Park conducted a Comprehensive Lodging Assessment in 2024.
The Comprehensive Lodging Assessment was a holistic study of all lodging inventory available within our destination for short-term rental. Its purpose was to quantify and qualify the total number of units available for visitors to occupy, and over which VEP’s marketing efforts are likely to have some influence.
• 6,815 rental units offered 34,675 pillows to guests, combining professionally managed and owner-managed units.
• Hotels/Motels were the most prevalent lodging unit type, followed by cabins.
• Highway 66 has the most rentable units and the highest potential capacity.
• Rent by Owner units have increased each year since 2018.
See the full study.
State of the Destination
OVERNIGHT VISITORS
VISITS VARIANCE
TOP STATISTICAL AREAS WITH OVERNIGHT STAYS
DIFFERENT AD SETS TARGETED FLY AND DRIVE MARKETS
ABOVE-AVERAGE DISPLAY AD CLICK-THROUGH RATES (CTR)
Visit Estes Park average CTR: 1.05% Industry average CTR: 0.8%
Social and paid search ads return the highest click-through rates at 2.93% and 2.22%, respectively
TRAVEL & LEISURE PARTNERSHIP
Co-branded email campaign open rate: 61.45%
Print ad circulation 301,000
DISPLAY ADVERTISING NET ECONOMIC IMPACT*
Epsilon serves targeted visitors with relevant ads and tracks their spend once they’re in the destination. In 2024, 8,200 people served an ad through Epsilon also visited Estes Park.
Visitors who received an Epsilon ad:
• Spent a total of $2.1 million in the destination
• On average, each visitor spent $262 and made three purchases
*Epsilon measures about 60% of transactions
ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY ADVERTISING PARTNERSHIPS
• $1.6 million gross booking
• 3,723 hotel room nights generated
• 1,445 vacation rental nights generated
• 6,877 travelers
Leisure Marketing
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PR EFFORTS EARNED THE DESTINATION SIGNIFICANT COVERAGE
2,269,517,607 total impressions
$7,617,124 ad value equivalency
174 articles generated
340 partner features 96 articles included 2 or more partners 86 articles featured key need periods
TOP MEDIA HITS
OWNED CONTENT
SOCIAL MEDIA, BLOGS AND CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS CONTINUED TO EDUCATE, INFORM AND INSPIRE.
Followers increased by 10.1K. Content interactions increased by 20.2%, including a 29% increase in link clicks.
Instagram visits increased 69.5%
1,041 hours watched
Total reach of Facebook and Instagram 8.6M
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROAMER
Users spiked over the holidays. BLOG
Blog readers engaged in 301,242 sessions for an average of one minute and 13 seconds.
CONSUMER ENEWSLETTER
Subscribed Audience: 62,860
Rate: 1.43%
Leisure Marketing
AUDIENCE FAVORITES
BLOGS
Most Read
A Visitor’s Guide to Estes Park 29,448 sessions
Longest Read
Activities to Do in Estes Park
1m 39s average engagement time
SOCIAL MEDIA
Most Watched
This isn’t Switzerland
1,400,000 views on TikTok
Our Northern Lights static post earned 9.7K reactions, 311
VISITOR CENTER KIOSK
Nearly 7,000 sessions, lasting just over seven minutes on average
Most popular listing category: Things to Do
and
ESTES INSPIRED CAMPAIGN
In 2024, we created the Estes Inspired campaign to drive interest in our destination through inspirational storytelling by Estes Park locals. By sharing what makes Estes Park special to those who live here, we positioned our destination as a community and gave visitors a new perspective on the place they also love.
Extend the Season
Building on 2023’s Extend the Season initiative to create destination driving experiences and support local events, 2024’s efforts continued to contribute to a year-round economy.
FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS
2024 ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS & OUTCOMES
GOAL #1
Increase the Frozen Dead Guy Days (FDGD) festival attendance to 10,000
OUTCOME 2024 Ticket Sales: 5389
Attendance increased 27% over the inaugural Estes Park FDGD in 2023, when 3934 tickets were sold.
GOAL #2
Secure 80 FDGD offerings from lodgers, restaurants and local businesses
OUTCOME Secured 87 promotions from local businesses
A partner guide encouraged local businesses to get involved.
GOAL #3
Develop an integrated marketing campaign and launch a new Frozen Dead Guy Days website
OUTCOME Website was launched in February 2024
Campaign elements spanned paid, earned and owned media channels to reach past and new event attendees.
CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE
Impressions: 34,510,501
Clicks: 135,548
Click-through rate: 0.39% (4x the industry average)
Expanded FDGD marketing to reach a national audience in key target markets
Ticket purchasers came from:
• Colorado
• Texas
• Wyoming
• California
• Florida
• Nebraska
• Missouri
• Illinois
• Virginia
• New York
LATE AUGUST
Due to the challenges local businesses were experiencing during Loop construction, our team pivoted from our plan to supplement the back-to-school season with a destination-driving experience to executing the construction marketing campaign, the Estes Explorers Savings Pass and the Thank You Activation. We also supported 13 local events and the Retail Rally.
CONSTRUCTION MARKETING CAMPAIGN
The campaign leaned into the planned Staycation Campaign that encouraged Northern Colorado residents, our extended locals, to experience Estes Park like a local while including information about how to navigate the construction. It included a marketing toolkit and talking points for local tourism businesses.
THANK YOU ACTIVATION
Created to thank our guests for visiting us during construction. The programming was designed to surprise and delight them with pop-ups around town where they were greeted with a smile and a bag full of local goodies. The team handed out 1500 bags during this time.
ESTES EXPLORERS SAVINGS PASS
This pass encouraged visitors to discover Estes Park through exclusive deals and discounts from local businesses and was promoted in marketing efforts.
Extend the Season
CATCH THE GLOW HOLIDAY SEASON
2024 ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS & OUTCOMES
GOAL #1
Prolong the busier season and foster economic stability by implementing initiatives that attract visitors seeking memorable and rewarding winter travel experiences.
GOAL #2 Achieve sustainable destination development by sponsoring Winter and Spring programs, to enhance the area’s appeal, attract more visitors and bolster the local economy.
GOAL #3 Increase winter/spring visitation by positioning Estes Park as a winter wonderland through advertising, paid social media, public relations and content creation efforts.
Our team worked tirelessly to give guests a reason to visit during the holidays.
• Acquired and installed a 36’ pixel pine tree in Bond Park that played holiday music-synced light shows.
• Filled Bond Park with more holiday displays.
• Enhanced the downtown holiday experience by extending holiday lights the entire length of Elkhorn.
• Evolved Frosty Beer Fest to the Snowman Festival to make it more kid-friendly.
• Showcased partner lodging packages, special offers and related events.
Outcomes:
• According to Placer.Ai - traffic to bond park increased 143% YOY during the holidays
• Traffic along Elkhorn increased 21% YOY during the holiday season
• Overnight stays increased 6.2% in November and 12.5% in December.
OF 58 SPONSORED EVENTS, 28 OCCURRED IN THE WINTER AND SPRING.
WINTER/HOLIDAY MARKETING
Starting in October, our always-on awareness campaign featured winter, while our dedicated holiday campaign focused on driving traffic from Northern Colorado and the surrounding drive markets to Estes Park for the six weeks between Thanksgiving and the new year.
CATCH THE GLOW PARADE
Attendance increased by an impressive 65.5%, from 3,200 in 2023, despite the cold temperatures, to 5,300 in 2024.
Community Relations & Services
Spanning work in community engagement, group sales, destination development and sustainability, Visit Estes Park staff was dedicated to supporting the Estes Park community with sustainable economic development in mind.
2024 ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS & OUTCOMES
GOAL #1 Execute a dedicated calendar of events aimed at extending the season and enhancing year-round destination offerings.
GOAL #2 Further develop community relations to deepen stakeholder trust and increase engagement.
GOAL #3 Provide tools for partners to promote their businesses through advertising and support services.
GOAL #4 Bring qualified groups to Estes Park with an emphasis on the fall, winter and spring months.
GOAL #5 Collaborate with partners to bring international travelers to Estes Park.
DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT
This crucial work seeks to strike a balance among businesses, community organizations, residents, and visitors, all while promoting sustainable tourism, enhancing positive visitor experiences, and preserving the genuine small-town charm and environment of Estes Park.
Visit Estes Park staff met and collaborated with a number of partner organizations:
• Northern Colorado destination marketing organizations
• Northern Colorado Airport
• Colorado Department of Transportation
• Economic Development Workforce Council
• The Estes Chamber of Commerce
• Town of Estes Park
• Estes Park Transportation Advisory Board
• Estes Arts District
• Estes Non-Profit Network
• Kep Expeditions
• Estes Park Rotary Club
• Estes Valley Sunrise Rotary
• Estes Park Visitors Center
• Estes Park Events
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Larimer County Natural Resources
• Colorado Tourism Office
• State of Colorado Welcome Centers
• Green Business Network
• Office of Economic Development & Int’l Trade (OEDIT)
• Community Recycling Committee
• Estes Park Memorial Observatory
PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY TO PRESERVE OUR DESTINATION & ITS CHARM
• Partnered with the Colorado Green Business Network and promoted their certification program to local businesses to help them achieve their sustainability goals and promote the good work they’re already doing.
• Initiated a partnership with the Community Recycling Committee to amplify the Green Business Network.
• Sponsored 10 partners to be listed on Wheel the World as a tool to highlight accessibility in Estes Park.
• Supported the Be a Giving Guest Program to provide philanthropic guests with an outlet to support local nonprofits and to give exposure to the program.
• Continued to work with the Colorado Dark Sky Committee to complete the International DarkSky Certification. We completed the DarkSky OEDIT mentor program to help achieve this goal.
• Supported the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and EVICS Community Resource Fair, and sponsored Rocky Mountain Channel’s Water: The Sacred Gift documentary.
• Added a voluntourism tab on our website that links to voluntourism opportunities in Estes Park.
ESTES EXPERIENCES
Back for the second year, this initiative gave frontline workers the opportunity to experience area attractions so that they could recommend things to do with first-hand knowledge and enthusiasm, contributing to a positive visitor experience. In 2024, we organized 36 experiences and 116 workers participated, up from 33 experiences in 2023.
HOSTED THREE COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE EVENTS
• January: Announced Earth Week and Frozen Dead Guy Days. Discussed engagement with Visit Estes Park through event sponsorship, the Beyond Program, and potential use of Bandwango. Shared updates on Rocky Mountain Roamer and Wheel the World events.
• April (Sustainability Focus): Featured local and state sustainability projects, vendor booths, and networking opportunities. Guest speakers included representatives from the Town, YMCA, Holiday Inn, Larimer County, and more. Non-profit and service provider booths included DarkSky Colorado, Leave No Trace, and Estes Valley Sierra Club.
• September: Focused on community involvement in Visit Estes Park programs, including Catch the Glow, marketing campaigns, and the Colorado Green Business Network.
Community Relations & Services
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Staff worked with local event organizers to support events and projects through financial and marketing assistance.
The Beyond Program continued to drive visitors into local businesses. A total of 239 offers were promoted in 2024, resulting in 27,356 click throughs.
Partner surveys gave integral feedback on Extend the Season initiatives that informed 2025 work.
A new partner guide gave local tourism businesses an excellent resource to get involved in Visit Estes Park programs.
VISIT ESTES PARK STAFF SIT ON SEVERAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES:
• Estes Chamber of Commerce Board Member, Rebecca D. Gelsinger
• Estes Non-Profit Network Board Member, Rebecca D. Gelsinger
• Estes Park Dark Sky Committee Founder, Dana Paiement
The Visit Estes Park Event & Project Sponsorship was expanded to include marketing support and to incorporate sustainability and inclusivity-focused initiatives. Here’s a list of events and projects we supported:
TOWN SIGNATURE EVENTS
First People’s Festival
Wine & Chocolate
Whiskey Warm Up
Bigfoot Days
WoolMarket
Rooftop Rodeo
Elk Festival
Rocky Mountain Craft Spirits Festival
Catch the Glow Parade
OTHER SPONSORED EVENTS
5th
8th
Bigfoot Half Marathon
Bowling Tournament
Brain Freeze
Chalk Art Event
Chamber Cup
Chamber Gala
Chamber Mini-Golf Tournament
Chase the Glow 5k
Christmas Block Party
Community Art Festival
Community Gumbo Dinner
Community Resource Fair
End of the Season Bash ‘24
Estes Park Autumn Gold
Estes Park Craft Beer Week
Estes Park Jazz Fest
Estes Park Labor Day Arts & Crafts Show
Estes Park Marathon & Half Marathon
Estes Park Retail Rally
Estes Park Rotary Duck Race Festival
Estes Park Wine Festival
Estes Park’s Backyard Ultra Race
Estes Valley Plein Air
Food for Thought
Free Summer Movies
Friends of Folk Festival
Frozen Dead Guy Days
Larimer County Fair and Rodeo Parade
Listening at the Legion
Longs Peak 5 Miler
Makers Market
Peaked Estes Park Cruise Weekend
Philanthropy Dinner
Pumpkins & Pilsners
Rocky Mountain Auld Lang Syne
Rocky’s Backyard Ultra Race
Rocky’s Backyard Ultra Race (duplicate)
Rooftop Rodeo Parade
Samson’s Revenge
Snowman Festival
SnowyGrass Music Festival
Story Slam
Sweet Stroll Festival
Universal Consciousness Festival
Vacation Races Rocky Mountain 1/2 Marathon + 5k
Water: the Sacred Gift
Where’s Waldo - Estes Park - Celebration Party
SALES
Throughout 2024, the Visit Estes Park team focused on boosting group bookings for meetings, conferences, weddings, and events, emphasizing securing reservations during the shoulder season to meet demand. This goal was achieved through comprehensive marketing campaigns and lead generation via Destination Colorado and CVENT, along with participation in local and regional trade shows. Recognizing the importance and need for this market growth, VEP decided to allocate a full-time employee in 2025 specifically to enhance our sales efforts.
INTERNATIONAL MARKET 2024
TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL MARKETS VISITING ESTES PARK:
1. Germany
2. UK
3. France
4. Australia
5. Mexico
TOTAL OPERATORS OFFERING OVERNIGHTS: 81 (up 5.19% over 2023)
TOTAL ESTIMATED VISITOR SPENDING: $2,627,229 (up 49.14% over 2023)
TOTAL ESTIMATED ROOM NIGHTS BOOKED: 4,324 (up 13.1% over 2023)
TRADESHOWS ATTENDED:
• Meetings Industry Council of Colorado Conference & Tradeshow
• CSAE Annual Conference
• Destination Colorado regional meetings
• IPW - International Travel Tradeshow
• Destination Colorado Front Range Trade Show
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS
LEADS BY MARKET:
1. Corporate - 49
2. Reunions - 27
3. SMERF - 18
4. Weddings - 18
5. Association - 9
6. Government - 6
TOTAL GROUP SALES LEADS RECEIVED: 127
TOTAL REQUESTED ROOMS: 15,226
TOTAL ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT: $2,376,500
Inclusion & Sustainability
WE SHOWCASED INCLUSION AND SUSTAINABILITY ON VISITESTESPARK.COM
• Inclusion and sustainability pages were added to our website. These pages pull through content, listings and calendar events that highlight the community’s inclusion and sustainability efforts and offerings.
• Wheel the World, Be a Giving Guest and Colorado Green Business Network icons were added to certified business listings.
• The team performed a website audit to link relevant resources on relevant landing pages.
• Sustainable topics were included in the Visit Estes Park Blog.
• Staff took part in the Rocky Mountain Conservancy’s Volunteer Clean Up Day.
• We added a Do Estes Right episode to the helpful sustainability series covering mountain lion safety. Staff hosted a sustainability-focused community roundtable.
• Staff presented sustainability initiatives at a Town of Estes Park meeting.
Lodging Tax
In its second year, the additional 3.5% lodging tax collection allowed by the passage of the 6E ballot measure continued to support workforce housing and childcare initiatives.
BACKGROUND
On January 1, 2023, the lodging tax collected in Estes Park was increased to 5.5% from 2%. While 2% continues to fund the work of the Estes Park Local Marketing District (Visit Estes Park), the additional 3.5% provides a permanent, consistent source of funding for workforce housing and childcare projects in the Estes Valley. Per state statute, 90% of the 6E funds are remitted to the Town of Estes Park and the remaining 10% stay with Visit Estes Park for marketing purposes. Visit Estes Park earmarks this percentage to help amplify the program and its outcomes.
Read the 2024 Town of Estes Park Workforce Housing & Childcare Impact Report.
$9,805,348
Total Lodging Tax Receipts
$3,565,581
Visit Estes Park
Destination Marketing, Education & Development
$6,239,767
Workforce Housing & Childcare
Due to the requirements of the statute, 10% of this total ($623,977) is retained by VEP for marketing.
LODGING TAX COLLECTION & GROWTH
Lodging tax collection has fluctuated during the pandemic years due to a surge in tourism within outdoor destinations. We have now returned to, and still exceed 2019 levels. For comparison purposes, this chart outlines collections for the 2% lodging tax only.
$3,565,581 2% LMD LODGING TAX REVENUES
Up $125K or 3.7% from 2023 Up $103K or 3.0% from 2022 $6,737,915 SALES TAXES Up $7K or 0.1% from 2023
$124K or 1.8% from 2022
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
*2023 & 2024 exclude 6E passthrough funds
FINANCIAL & INTERNAL AUDITS
Visit Estes Park completed its 2023 annual financial audit in July 2024 and received a clean independent auditor’s report from Haynie & Company.
