It has come to my attention that it would be useful to provide some background and further clarification on the Breckenridge Tourism Office’s town council update that was covered by the Summit Daily News in Monday’s paper.

One of the four goals that our community established during our 2019 Destination Management Plan process was to “firmly establish Breckenridge at the leading edge in mountain environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.” Overwhelmingly, the highest priority strategy under that goal is to “develop cutting-edge messaging/programs around responsible tourism and responsible citizenry, which extends beyond environmental issues.”

Over the past year, the tourism office has been working on a number of initiatives, including the local rollout of our “B Like Breckenridge” responsible tourism narrative and video at GoBreck.com. We’ve also incorporated the Colorado Tourism Office’s “Care for Colorado and Care for Coloradans” videos and messaging into our work and guest-facing website.

Around the globe, forward-thinking leaders in the tourism industry are working collaboratively, not just on rebuilding tourism business that has been lost in the wake of the pandemic, but innovating and restarting an industry with a higher standard of education for travelers on what it means to care for the physical place and the people who live in that place.

These are the “values” that I referenced.

Another important goal in our community’s Destination Management Plan is to “deliver a more balanced, year-round economy driven by destination tourism by 2024.” When this goal was identified in 2019, it was through the lens of potential overcrowding during certain times of the year. The pandemic has reframed all of that and essentially offered us a “clean slate.” We are now gathering input and data into how we rebuild our economy in a way that is optimal for the quality of life for residents and quality of place for visitors. Through our Resiliency Committee work, we are forming several task force groups and also will conduct an additional resident survey to help us identify the best paths forward for Breckenridge.

This “clean slate” is the new world order.

We invite all community constituents to listen to our biweekly virtual community updates and the Breckenridge Town Council meetings to stay informed on the progress of this work. The lines of communications are more open than ever, and we invite your input anytime.

Words matter, and if in a synopsis of an update I was not clear and complete enough in what is behind certain words, I certainly apologize. Thank you to those who reached out with questions and concerns and continued passion for this place we call home.