VISIT ESTES PARK LAUNCHES NEW ESTES-INSPIRED STORYTELLING SERIES – Estes Park Trail-Gazette

The video series tells stories of extraordinary Estes Park residents, including a two-time Olympian and a former astronaut, to encourage sustainable travel.

Visit Estes Park has launched a new video series called “Estes Inspired,” featuring remarkable stories from a two-time Olympian, a former NASA astronaut and a senior park ranger for Rocky Mountain National Park, all of whom call Estes Park home. The series highlights the storytellers’ connection to Estes Park and promotes reverence for nature and responsible tourism.

The videos can be found on the Visit Estes Park website, which provides travelers with a comprehensive resource to plan their visit and learn about sustainable travel practices. Narrators include: two-time Olympian and former mayor Wendy Koenig; former NASA astronaut Loren Shriver; Rocky Mountain National Park District park ranger J. RisingBuffalo Maybee; and historic trading post owner Nico StrangeOwl.

“With the Estes Inspired video series, we want to tell the important stories of our local community and convey the deep connection residents have to the land,” said Kara Franker, CEO of Visit Estes Park. “By sharing these stories, we hope to help visitors understand why we should all care for natural resources and participate in conservation efforts that are critical to preserving Estes Park’s natural wonders for future generations.”

In time for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the “Estes Inspired” campaign was launched this week with the release of Wendy Koenig’s story. In her story, Koenig describes her journey to becoming a two-time Olympian with the support of the Estes Park community, which supported her with fundraising campaigns and offered her jobs to earn the money she needed to compete internationally.

“Being part of the Estes Inspired campaign is an incredible honor because it allows me to inspire travelers to appreciate and care for the place we all love,” said Wendy Koenig. “Storytelling is a way to connect with others and encourage them to appreciate and protect the area we are privileged to experience.”

The next “Estes Inspired” video to be released tells the story of former NASA astronaut Loren Shriver. Koenig and Shriver’s videos can be viewed on the Visit Estes Park YouTube channel. Direct links to each episode can be found here:

● Wendy Koenig, two-time Olympian: https://youtu.be/7X4lBnTG4Lo

● Loren Shriver, former NASA astronaut: https://youtu.be/eAyukJutu0k

● Nico StrangeOwl, Eagle Plume’s (preview, full release date is August 21): https://youtu.be/OQxSbqG-4eg

● J. RisingBuffalo Maybee, Rocky Mountain National Park (preview, full version release date is September 5): https://youtu.be/-INlu6_JiOc

Educational materials like the “Estes Inspired” videos are important messages for a destination that welcomed 2.1 million guests in 2023, according to a Placer.AI study. Those guests visited Estes Park an average of 2.9 times, for a total of 6.1 million visits annually. Tourism is the primary economic driver in Estes Park and brings significant benefits to the entire Estes Park community. According to a study by Dean Runyan Associates, tourism-related spending in Estes Park created 3,100 jobs in 2021 and contributed $3,270 per resident household to local tax revenue, totaling $100.6 million in direct travel-related revenue.

Media images for the “Estes Inspired” series can be downloaded via this link, source: Visit Estes Park/Michael Pisarri: https://brandfolder.com/s/6z2m6vprxb8gpq6t5jrhg3hs

About Visit Estes Park

Visit Estes Park is the official Destination Marketing Organization for Estes Park, Colorado. Visit Estes Park is a Destinations International (DI) accredited DMO and is committed to driving sustainable economic growth by driving year-round visitor demand. Just 90 minutes from Denver, Estes Park is the base camp of Rocky Mountain National Park and offers outdoor experiences, activities, dining, shopping and a welcoming and accessible environment. Known for world-class adventure, native wildlife and scenic beauty, Estes Park is Colorado’s quintessential mountain town. For more information, visit www.visitestespark.com.