COLORADO SPRINGS — Long time music lover and Colorado Springs native Dave Arvizu remembers the days of editing your favorite songs onto what is known as a mixtape.
“When you had a cassette stereo in your car, put that mix tape in there, or send it to friends.”
He is intrigued by the new Pike Peak Region Vacation Planner and the Traveler’s Mixtape listed inside.
“Misty Mountain Hop by Zeppelin, that's a good one; you got Breathe, Pink Floyd;…you got, Loves Pilot, that's a local band here, Tejon Street Corner Thieves;… yeah, there's some pretty good ones on this,” said Arvizu.
Tourism is a major economic driver in the Pikes Peak Region.
The Visit Colorado Springs Office works to attract new tourists and encourage return visitors.
This year there is an attempt to get attention with a twist on the vacation planner booklet.
“We wanted to shake it up a bit and do something a little more exciting and a little more out of the box,” said Visit Colorado Springs Marketing Director, Melisa Williams.
The inspiration is the New Ford Amphitheatre that will have its first full season in 2025.
“We knew that we had to amplify it and get people excited about it in a way that was new and refreshing. And so, we put it on the cover of our visitor guide this year, and decided to make the whole theme around a perfect mixtape,” said Williams.
A mixtape represents the diverse things to see and do in the Pikes Peak Region.
“Everybody who remembers mix tapes, [knows] it really didn't follow any rhyme or reason, it just fed into the interest in the item that you were craving in that moment,” said Williams, “In the same sense, Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region can do that for visitors as well.”
The music theme is throughout the guide.
Like the page mapping out the vibe in different local tourist spots.
There’s also a convenient option for listening to the mixtape songs.
“There's a QR code in our guide that you can actually scan and listen to while you're on your trip.”
It is fun and serious business.
“Tourism in Colorado Springs is a huge deal,” said Williams, “It's a very large economic driver. In 2023 we welcomed nearly 25 million visitors who spent nearly $3 billion in our region.”
Tourism dollars spent locally, mostly stay local.
Some may like the playlist, while others argue for songs they think should be included.
Creators say that is “fine.”
Like it or not, if the playlist creates debate, it is also creating conversation about tourism spots in Colorado Springs, and marketing pros say that is a good thing.
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