February was a rough month for tourism in the Aspen area. Little snow, high winds and an airport equipment problem made the Upper Valley less enticing and a lot harder to get to. But the real kicker was the long closure on I-70 in Glenwood Canyon.
Those factors translated into a slump for hotel bookings. Last-minute reservations have been a growing trend for many hotels in the Aspen area and bookings at the beginning of February looked like they could get packed at the last minute. But after reviewing the number of reservations through the end of last month, Stay Aspen Snowmass President Bill Tomcich says it’s clear the dry spell, cancelled flights and a Canyon closure stopped that trend cold.
Tomcich says it’s hard to quantify how much money was lost due to fewer hotel reservations. That’s because there’s a long list of booking websites and agencies that people can use, plus rooms are booked at different rates. Tomcich says March reservations are looking good so far.
The Colorado Department of Transportation says there are no more planned closures for Glenwood Canyon in the coming weeks, but repairs to I-70 are expected through early May.
