Tourism Matters

Our goal as your Destination Organization is t Downtown businesses in the summer o leverage tourism to improve your quality of life.

The Yampa Valley is an incredible place to live. It’s also a great place to visit. Tourism is a valuable part of our local economy and visitors have been coming to the Yampa Valley for many years to enjoy the natural beauty, ideal climate, and soothing hot springs. Visitor spending brings new dollars to our communities, creating jobs, enhancing the local economy and improving the quality of life for residents.

How Steamboat Springs Locals Benefit from Tourism

Every time visitors use the airport, stay in a local hotel, dine out, or soak in the hot springs they’re helping the Yampa Valley thrive. Taxes and revenue generated from local attractions, hotels and restaurants help fund schools, roadways, police and fire services, and other infrastructure improvements that benefit the community.

Balancing Quality of Life and Visitor Experiences

Tourism is important, but so is our quality of life as residents. We’re working hard to find a balance through:

Destination Stewardship
Local Input
Community Partnerships

The tax locals don’t pay.

Did you know, even beyond sales tax collections, visitors help pay for many of the incredible amenities we all get to enjoy in Steamboat Springs? A 1% Accommodation Tax (AKA 2A) is used to develop amenities in Steamboat Springs which promote tourism and enhance the vitality of Steamboat Springs as a premiere destination. Since 1986, these funds were used to construct:

By the Numbers

Economic Impact in Routt County

direct spending

direct earnings

direct employment

tax receipts

^{*Dean Runyan Associates 2024 Economic Impact Report}

Frequently Asked Questions

All the Chamber does is promote our City, right?

That’s only part of what we do! The Chamber has a contract with the City of Steamboat Springs to serve as the Destination Organization for the region.

Our efforts include:

Inviting visitors from around the world
Visitor research
Maintaining visitsteamboatsprings.com
Staffing the Visitor Center
Fielding public relations requests
Promoting local businesses

Why aren’t the Chamber’s Destination efforts funded by a lodging tax?

In Steamboat Springs, current funding from the accommodations tax, goes toward trail building and planning, and as the community just voted on, an STR tax will fund affordable housing infrastructure.

Destination funding comes from the City’s general sales tax collections, of which visitors pay an estimated 40%. This funding plan has been in place since 1984.

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We want to hear from you!

Tell us what you think at lowdown@steamboatchamber.com!

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