[ Tourism Consulting ]
Replicating Our Success
We help tourism and hospitality brands refine their voice and optimize their reach, revenue and guest satisfaction.
[ Culture ]
Ready to tackle big opportunities?
Wasting time is not in our DNA. With more than 30 years in the business, we’ve developed a proven suite of marketing, technology and operational strategies that focus on what matters.
Our team has launched and grown destination attractions, major annual events and world-wide restaurant brands. We’ve also developed brands from scratch, designed and evolved guest experiences, enhanced customer relationships and driven year-over-year revenue and profitability in some of the most challenging environments.
We’ve earned our experience every step of the way, and we know exactly how to deliver real-world, game-changing results.
If you’re ready to tackle big opportunities, we’re ready to chat.
Our Clients
A few of the tourism, hospitality, restaurant and entertainment brands we’ve worked with:
Our Formula
Creating a Culture of Service
Our success depends upon our ability to create and maintain an energetic can-do culture of service, where guest satisfaction aligns with profitability, creating a real win for our customers, staff and ownership. We help clients evolve their company culture in meaningful ways — making a difference where it counts the most.
Marketing Strategies that Work
Never have there been so many choices for telling your story. The question is, what works? Through a combination of bold PR and clever marketing, we create programs and promotions that return on your investment and grow your brand in ways you may not have thought possible.
Operational Excellence
When operations are invisible to guests, you’ve succeeded. Our mechanical, safety and security programs ensure guests can focus entirely on the joy of the journey. We design protocols that eliminate the guess work for staff and ensure operations are so well managed that customers stay busy making memories.
Retail Sales Strategies
Shopping is fun — well, it should be, right? Our retail program is off the charts — but it wasn’t always! Today’s product mix is vibrant, priced right, displayed for rapid turn around and always aimed at enhancing each guest’s experience. Did we mention it’s highly profitable? We can help you achieve this too. Our team travels to the largest retail shows, working with suppliers to keep up with all the latest trends in the industry. Our pricing strategies and product mix work together to bring you top dollar in everything retail.
Extraordinary Culinary Programs
You can find subpar food in almost every tourism destination in America. We’re interested in really good food, made with really good ingredients — paired up with a beverage program that takes each guest experience to the next level. We design food & beverage programs that guests swoon over while meeting our top and bottom line goals.
Leveraging Technology to Enhance Relationships
There’s no shortage of technology solutions out there. The question is, what’s right for your business? We’ve battled over the best options, ultimately discovering our magic formula for building guest relationships through the right back- and front-end technology.
[ Our Story ]
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad Story
After years in the ski industry in Europe and the U.S. then running the Georgetown Loop Railroad for 32 years, our team set its sights on a rail line that had laid fallow for more than 40 years, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad.
As the first railroad in Colorado with a rich history in fine dining and views like nowhere else in the world, we knew it had potential — we also knew we had the experience, competitive spirit and guts to bring it back to life.
In 1999 we resurrected the Royal Gorge Route with five cars, a cooler of beverages and a few snacks. Our marketing was simple but effective, and our drive to grow was strong. Within a year, word of mouth spread and our marketing took hold. The charm of riding an historic rail line through a stunning canyon was resonating with people — and we let pictures tell our story.
Even with natural-beauty advantages, there is much more involved in creating a world-class destination experience. We quickly acquired new railcars, added classic Vista Domes, onboard kitchens, bars, and open-air cars while developing our vision for a railcar food and beverage experience unlike any other in the United States. Providing guests with extraordinary dining and service was essential to continued growth.
We also focused on building a talented, hard working team of tourism, hospitality, marketing and retail professionals dedicated to delivering on our vision. From hourly to salaried, every staff member developed a real passion for creating an unforgettable journey through the Royal Gorge.
What are your
pillars of strength?
These are our non-negotiable promises to every guest, every time. Do we stumble occasionally? Of course. But knowing our strengths and standards creates a culture of service and responsibility that rights the ship quickly.
Stunning views, unlike anywhere else in the world.
Memory-making journeys, celebrations, and shopping experiences.
Top-flight customer service at every touch point.
Comfortable and beautifully maintained rail cars and locomotives.
Fantastic food and beverage experiences made with the best ingredients Colorado has to offer.
Aligning Guest Happiness with Operational Success
Over the years we’ve developed some serious determination. From natural disasters to political challenges and pandemics, we’ve managed to persevere and, frankly, emerge stronger. Complementary strengths and varying perspectives help, as does our nimble, thoughtful cadence for making simple and complex decisions.
To date, we’ve steadily grown the Royal Gorge Route to serve more than 270,000 guests from around the world annually. Our ridership, average ticket and revenue has increased by double digits virtually every year we’ve been in business. Likewise, our guest relationships and satisfaction have crested that 4+ star threshold and our social ambassadors have never been more enthusiastic or plentiful.
[ Growth & Perseverance ]
A Gobal Pandemic
In 2020, the world turned upside down as COVID-19 took hold. Tourism froze, restaurants closed and many businesses simply had to bail out — either temporarily or forever.
Running your business in an energetic manner over 20 years is excellent training for managing through life-altering events. In early March, we gathered our leadership team, assessed the situation and prepared for a variety of scenarios. Reopening in Colorado or anywhere else in the world was a moving target. Regardless, we maintained our commitment to reopening our business quickly, safely and with gusto.
During our 70 day closure, we invested in marketing, new guest experiences and an entirely new retail operation. This targeted approach, and fundamental belief in our future and the future of tourism in Colorado, made all the difference.
[ What We Learned ]
Our Formula for Success
- Safety for All
- Optimized Guest Experience
- Flexible, Sound Financial Planning
- Stay Open!
01
We brought top staff and key partners into the fold daily for analysis, decision-making.
02
We designed and launched a new suite of property websites with heightened functionality.
03
We redesigned our booking engine user experience to increase reservation.
04
We relaunched our retail experience, including updated store design, entirely.
05
We launched a modest online shopping experience to drive more guests into the gift.
06
Our sleeves were always rolled up to nimbly manage health and safety protocols.
07
We partnered with local elected officials and business leaders early.
08
We communicated with guests continuously and with emphasis about the right things.
09
We worked harder than ever to strategically market our business, spending less.
Outcomes of 2020
Less than 10 percent down in gross revenue over prior year during a year where we lost 70 days of business and decreased capacity due to social distancing on all journeys
Largest ridership, revenue and average ticket in September 2020 since we launched the business in 2000
A deep understanding of our business opportunities, cultural strengths, and leadership team talent and flexibility
Increasingly meaningful and loyal relationships with guests – we also know more than ever about what our guests really value
[ Featured In ]
[ Hear from Our Guests ]
Adventure Awaits
Hop aboard the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and experience a one-of-a-kind adventure through the Royal Gorge and Colorado Rockies. Departing daily from the Santa Fe Depot in Canon City.