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Welcoming our visitors for 2 years

Durangoans attend the grand opening for the Durango Welcome Center during summer 2012. The center helped 102,000 visitors during its first year of operation. Bob Kunkel says he’s been called by “dozens of other cities, trying to find out how we did it.”

The Durango Welcome Center turns 2 years old this summer.

It has been a blessing for tourists, local businesses and Fort Lewis College, said Bob Kunkel.

“We wanted a space in the core of the community and a solution for the issues that were facing all of our partners,” said Kunkel, special-events and business coordinator for Durango’s Central Business District.

He spearheaded efforts to open the Welcome Center in 2012 with help from the Durango Business Improvement District, Durango Area Tourism Office, Fort Lewis College and the city of Durango and a lot of support from a broad cross-section of the community.

“For instance, the college was looking for Main Avenue presence to do a better job of student recruitment, and also improve the sale of FLC Concert Hall tickets. They had another location in a small place behind Magpies, in the alley, but because of costs and stuff, it was invisible,” he said.

Kunkel said the Welcome Center so far has been a rousing success: FLC ticket sales are up, and Durango Welcome Center staff has expertly assisted scores of tourists.

“We had 102,000 people come through our first year. We’re very pleased to offer public restrooms, restrooms that are Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, an ATM and a water-bottle filling system. It’s a nice, quiet respite from the busy street to be able to come in and get some help.”

He said since the Durango Welcome Center opened, he’s had to field calls from “dozens of other cities, trying to find out how we did it.”

He said staff had celebrated the anniversary with a birthday cake and cookies for the public.

cmcallister@durangoherald.com



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