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Antero Group presents tourism revitalization plan; consultants flag visitor surge and Berthoud Pass safety concerns
Summary
Antero Group presented an EDA‑funded, data‑driven tourism revitalization plan for Grand County, noting visitation that has returned to — and exceeded — pre‑COVID levels, a large short‑term rental stock, lodging gaps and safety/orientation issues at Berthoud Pass. The plan includes developer toolkits, a hotel attraction package and web tools for towns and businesses.
Consultants from Antero Group briefed the Grand County Board on a tourism revitalization plan the county funded with an Economic Development Administration grant and local match. The presentation summarized visitor data (unique trips and average stay), lodging inventories and market tools designed to help towns and prospective developers evaluate sites and funding pathways.
Eric Nagy (Antero) described the effort as "a 1st of its kind project," explaining the team built queryable tools that catalogue lodging (including a large short‑term rental inventory), campsites and hotel room counts, workforce and wage data, and a hotel‑attraction package intended to help recruit hotel developers and support grant applications. Nagy said the consultants used multiple data sources and closed analysis through 2023 to create an implementation toolbox the county and towns can update.
A key takeaway was that countywide visitation has outpaced pre‑COVID levels in many periods, putting pressure on roads, services and infrastructure. The team highlighted Berthoud Pass as a near‑term safety and orientation priority: consultants observed uncontrolled parking, informal trails, and pedestrian crossings that create hazards; the briefing noted "we had a death earlier this year" at the pass and recommended developing an entry‑point vision, improved wayfinding and coordinated grant applications to fund improvements.
Commissioners and staff discussed using the tools for future grant applications and for targeted investments (conference/hotel attraction, shoulder‑season events, and entry‑point wayfinding). Antero and county staff recommended budgeting to maintain and update the data tools so they do not become obsolete.
Next steps include finalizing the plan document, keeping the data tools current, and pursuing implementation funding for prioritized projects such as Berthoud Pass gateway improvements.
