One of the functions of the Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board is to host media writers as a way to get the word out to the rest of the world about how great it is to visit Pagosa Country.
A good example was this summer’s contest by Outside Magazine to name “The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2015.” From an initial list of 64 places, each community was paired up with a rival, and readers were asked to vote for their favorite.
Pagosa Springs made it through several rounds of the competition — even beating out Santa Fe, which is the headquarters of Outside Magazine — before losing the matchup with Flagstaff. In the end, Pagosa was ranked as No. 9 on the final list.
Inclusion in this contest only happened because Jennie Green, the tourism board’s executive director, has hosted people from Outside Magazine in the past, making sure they feel welcome and have a good time here.
However, at the tourism board’s meeting this week, Green explained that she has been experiencing a problem recently. It started earlier this spring, but has became particularly troublesome within the last two or three weeks.
“In the past, I have gotten rooms provided for cleaning fees or for comp,” Green said. “Now suddenly it’s full price for all rooms, and it seems to be the full price for the summer rates, regardless of when I bring people through.
The full version of this story is available in the print edition and e-edition of the Pagosa Springs SUN. Subscribe today by calling (970)264-2100 or click here.