More people visited the Pikes Peak region in 2022 compared to the year before.
A total of 24 million tourists spent $2.8 billion in the area, an increase of about 300,000 visitors and $2 million in spending.
The data shows the increase in visitors during the early years of the pandemic wasn’t just a blip due to pent-up demand, said Doug Price, CEO of Visit Colorado Springs which put out the study last month.
“We knew we were busy,” Price said. “This was kinda like the report card for us, if you will, that told us that 2022 was a very good year.”
Price said the study also found an increase in year-round tourism with more visitors outside of the summer season.
“We are really trying to show that we are a year-round destination,” Price said. “And these numbers reflect the fact that that message is getting across.”
Another key finding from the study showed that 35 percent of visitors to the area last year had someone with a disability traveling with them. That’s about 15 percent higher than the national average.
Price attributes that to the Paralympic museum and committee headquarters in Colorado Springs as well as a number of accessible attractions like the summit house at the top of Pikes Peak.
Read the study’s findings here.
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