Cultural tourists are a boon to the Pikes Peak region.

They participate more in local entertainment and cultural activities and spend 17% more in the local economy than the national average for cultural travelers, according to the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region’s new “Snapshot Study: Impact of Local Arts Tourism.” The nonprofit arts organization works to promote and strengthen the local creative sector.

A cultural tourist is someone whose visit is at least partly motivated by the desire to attend the arts or experience the creative scene in a city, says COPPR’s Executive Director Angela Seals.

“We’ve had growing strength in this community in live music, comedy and a rising film scene that in the years ahead will be on more people’s radar,” Seals said. “And we have some new strengths, like the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, announcing its first female music director in its 99th season. That has infused energy there.”

The study includes three sources of data: the Arts Tourism Survey conducted by COPPR this year; the 2023 Arts & Economic Prosperity VI national study by Americans for the Arts; and marketing research consultancy Longwoods International’s 2024 Travel USA study of Colorado Springs.

The Longwoods report found that 44% of total tourists to the region stay overnight for 2.7 nights. It is assumed that cultural tourists follow the same behavior pattern.

Three-quarters of cultural tourists in the Pikes Peak region reported the primary purpose of their visit was to attend an arts performance, venue or exhibit.

“We interviewed people in lobbies,” Seals said. “We asked hundreds of people, capturing them in the middle of having an arts experience. That’s a strong number. We are strong enough creatively that people are coming for this to be part of their experience.”

COPPR’s inaugural Arts Tourism Survey included 11 of the region’s top cultural attractions: The Broadmoor World Arena, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, Ent Center for the Arts at UCCS, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Green Box Arts, Pikes Peak Center, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, and Venu’s Ford Amphitheater and Phil Long Music Hall at Bourbon Brothers.

Using numbers from 2025, the institutions reported a total attendance of 1 million visitors. Almost 400,000 of those were tourists, which COPPR estimates generated more than 230,000 local hotel room nights.

Sixty percent of those arts organizations reported tourism attendance rose over the last few years, 30% said it was steady, and 10% said it fell.

“It did not surprise me. It is surprising, perhaps, to people who underestimate the strength of our cultural destination today,” Seals said. “We are at a great place, and it’s exciting to demonstrate we’re not starting from zero. We’ve got incredible attractions here. COPPR’s hope is that this is a source of pride for our community and motivates us to support them more.”