Summertime can mean tourists visiting, nice weather and fun in the river.
This year seems promising for many rafting companies as the economy slowly picks up. A handful of companies in Southwest Colorado have managed to weather whatever the economy threw at them, and customers have a variety of raft adventure firms to choose from.
One example is Durango Rafting Co., which has been a fixture for nine years; the company provides rafting tours in the lower Animas River. Owner Tom OKeeffe has seen the good and the bad of Durango’s economy.
His busiest time of year is late June through early July, when students are out of school, he said. Also, his business relies heavily on tourists, who make up 90 percent of his clients, he said.
Last year was when business started picking up again after the economy tanked in 2008.
“The recession definitely affected us,” he said.
The first things people give up when struggling financially are vacations and dental check-ups, OKeeffe said.
Running the rafting company is his bread and butter, and he depends on his summer earnings to keep the business afloat. Like many of the other Durango rafting companies, Durango Rafting Co. is open only in summer.
With things looking brighter in the economy, he anticipates he will increase revenues and have a more successful season this year than in 2013, he said.
Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Trail Tours, another of many long-standing local rafting companies, has been around for 20 years.
Owner Molly Mickel said this year she has seen a lot of locals because the river is high. Mild to Wild provides rafting tours on the Animas River from April until the end of October. However, the business offers other outdoor-oriented services year-round.
The company offers guided tours for Mesa Verde National Park, takes rafters to Utah, Arizona and all over the Four Corners, she said. Also, during the off-season, Mild to Wild doubles as a hockey shop selling gear, skates and other equipment.
The diversity of offerings probably was a factor that helped Mild to Wild survive during the economic downturn, Mickel said.
The toughest year, she said, was 2002 when the Missionary Ridge Fire broke out.
The company offers many different options – bundling packages with other tourist attractions – and it adjusts to customer needs, she said.
“We’ve got a lot of different offerings for various adventure levels,” she said.
Executive Director of the Durango Chamber of Commerce Jack Llewellyn said rafting is big in Durango.
Both rafting companies as well as individual people are on the river, he said. Friday, he saw a group of about 75 people rafting and having fun on the Animas River.
“The river, to me, is definitely one of those destination amenities that bring people here,” Llewellyn said.
Six rafting companies are members of the Durango Chamber of Commerce, and it’s likely more are out there that are not affiliated.
Occasionally, he will see a handful of people inquire about rafting, but most tourists prebook a tour through a bundled travel package, he said.
In the past, rafting has drawn spectators, too – probably those not brave enough to risk an unexpected swim. People love to watch and see people flip and fall out of their kayak or raft, he said.
And, because the river is free-flowing, it’s a very sought-after amenity, he said, so he encourages river-goers to wear flotation devices, be mindful of their behavior and act responsibly.
Though river activities help bring revenue into Durango, Llewellyn recommends most people keep their day job and save the river for glorious Southwest Colorado spring and summer weekends.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
