At a regular meeting held by the Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board on June 18, Tourism Director Jennifer Green provided a brief report on lodgers’ tax collection.
“Town lodging tax has been up every month this year so far compared to last year,” Green said. “We are still up significantly over pre-pandemic. Certainly it’ll be a while before we reach the numbers from 2020-2021.”
Green’s complete report shows that lodgers’ tax collections have been up every month from January to April of this year compared to the same months in 2023.
According to Green’s report, the month with the lowest lodgers’ tax revenue in 2023 was the month of April, at $42,683. This is consistent for the current year, in that April has the lowest tax revenue collected so far, at $45,755.60.
The highest month of collections in 2023 for the months of January through April was March, at $65,184.
So far this year, March is also the highest month in lodgers’ tax collections at $74,494.44.
Total collections this year are up $17,197.67 compared to the same time frame in 2023.
Since lodger’s tax collections began in 2007, the year with the highest collection was 2021, with a total of $1,005,454. That is followed by 2022 at $937,209, the year 2023 at $799,503 and 2020 at $796,344.
Green spoke about media writers that the tourism board has hosted this year noting, “We have hosted quite a few writers.”
She explained that the exposure from hosting media writers has contributed to bringing tourism to Pagosa Springs.
“A town like Pagosa Springs doesn’t sell itself as well,” Green said, comparing the exposure Durango gets from having the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as a town staple.
Funding requests
During the same meeting, the board heard a total of seven funding requests from different local organizations, including three event funding requests and four infrastructure funding requests.
Before any funding request decisions were made, Green indicated there was approximately $16,300 left in the tourism’s fund for infrastructure funding requests.
According to the agenda documentation, there was approximately $48,800 left in the tourism’s fund for event funding requests.
The board voted unanimously to approve a partial funding request for the Pagosa Nordic Club at $1,725, which will go toward plowing West Fork Road in the winter.
The board unanimously denied a $15,000 request from the Upper San Juan Water Enhancement Partnership for improvement projects on private property along the San Juan River upstream from Pagosa Springs.
The board tabled the infrastructure request from the Pagosa Springs Arts Council for $30,000 to be used for bronze sheep sculptures to be placed near the Pagosa Peak Open School building.
The board unanimously approved a $10,000 event funding request for the Skis and Saddles skijoring event. The board also unanimously approved a $5,000 request for the Oktoberfest event and a $1,000 request for this year’s Fourth of July scavenger hunt to go toward prizes.
The board denied a $5,000 request for Spanish Fiesta, explaining the designated use of purchasing alcohol for the event is prohibited by the tourism board. The board indicated the group could resubmit the funding request designating a different use of the funds.
