Colorado is hoping that a new incentive program will encourage meeting and event planners to host their events in Colorado over the coming year.
The new program will provide 10% cash rebates anywhere from $3,500 to $10,000 to cover eligible costs for events and meetings held in Colorado between July 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2022. The initiative is meant to push planners to book within Colorado as opposed to competitor states and to retain meetings in the state when there is a likelihood of it being canceled or relocated.
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade spokesperson Jill McGranahan said this program is one of many that came from the state’s most recent legislative session aiming to bring back the economy.
Photo by Tripp Fay
Spring break meant high occupancy levels for the Breckenridge lodging industry this year, with bookings up 6% over the period compared to 2019. While private security was hired by Breckenridge to enforce public health orders, lodging companies didn’t report trouble when it came to visitors respecting town, county and state rules.
Bill Wishowski, director of operations at the Breckenridge Tourism Office, reported in an email that average occupancy in town reached 78% between March 6 and April 3, with a peak of 89% on March 18. During the peak spring break week from March 12 to March 20, average occupancy was at 85%.
Breckenridge placed private security guards on Main Street from mid-March through the beginning of April to enforce public health orders and town ordinances, including mask-wearing in the town’s mandatory mask zone. The idea was to support front-line workers from visitors who may be disgruntled over local COVID-19 restrictions.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include more recent lodging occupancy data.
Predictions for lodging occupancy from Christmas to New Year’s, which is typically one of the biggest booking periods of the year, vary as cancellations and last-minute bookings continue.
While some lodging establishments have good news ahead of the holidays by being able to open in-person dining services through the state’s five-star program, limiting bookings to one household has become a major hindrance for the industry.
At a community update meeting Monday, Dec. 21, Breckenridge Tourism Office CEO and President Lucy Kay said lodging was running around 85% occupancy last weekend. Kay cited a Nov. 30 report from DestiMetrics that forecast lodging occupancy to be in the 90% to 95% range from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. However, she said forecasts are changing rapidly as people book and cancel at the last minute.