Community priorities have remained largely unchanged since last spring’s Visit Estes Park roundtable, which helped shape the first draft of the organization’s tourism strategic plan. Business owners continue to rank economic stability — particularly support for a year-round workforce — as a top concern.
That view was shared by about 30 participants in focus group sessions held on April 28 at the Historic Park Theater to guide the organization’s future tourism marketing efforts. Visit Estes Park officials said the input will inform upcoming marketing strategies.
“We want to strengthen the brand of Estes Park and how we promote it to potential visitors,” said VEP CEO Sarah Leonard. As VEP prepares to present that brand, Leonard said branding “involves messaging and a promise, a brand promise to your visitors, and that means authentic ways we’re promoting the community.”
Leonard said the exercises were designed to gather public opinion. Hence, the tourism marketing and management agency’s work reflects the Estes Park experience for visitors relative to that of the community’s residents.
“Brand promise and a brand of a destination involve not only the visitor, but residents, and it should be that holistic look,” Leonard told participants.
Participants at Tuesday’s gathering identified several priorities for Estes Park’s future, including stronger transportation options, preserving the town’s character over the long term, and balancing the needs of residents and visitors.
When asked to rank future needs, the group overwhelmingly selected year-round economic viability as the top priority. That result mirrors feedback from Visit Estes Park’s Tourism Summit held on April 30, 2025.
Other key categories highlighted in the exercise were infrastructure and visitor management, environmental and cultural preservation, community governance and engagement, and quality-of-place improvements.
Participants ranked environmental and cultural preservation as the second-highest priority.
“We have the need for a 12-month expansion for an economically viable culture and economic stability while preserving the experience and natural character of the area,” one participant said in summarizing their small group breakout discussion.
One small discussion group echoed that sentiment, saying “year-round work leads to economic stability, advancements in transportation offerings and trail systems.”
Other priorities identified during Tuesday’s session included more parking, affordable housing, attracting a younger demographic, introducing nightlife, live music, art, and culture, and being environmentally friendly.
Also noted was the need to maintain community affordability while limiting the financial impacts advancements can bring, including impacts on the town’s water facility, sewage treatment, housing, and transportation.
Findings from last year’s meeting showed the need for comprehensive solutions to traffic congestion and parking challenges, protection of natural resources and scenic areas from overdevelopment and overcrowding, meaningful resident consultation in major tourism development decisions, and cultural and recreational opportunities that serve residents year-round.
The VEP board of directors reviewed a strategic plan draft during their September 2025 meeting. David Holder and Tina Valdecanas of Clarity of Place, a Columbus, Ohio affiliate of Longwoods International, prepared the draft. Clarity of Place works with destination marketing organizations, such as VEP, in developing tourism management plans that balance community- and destination-based needs.