"Hopefully we are leading the industry in what they should be doing. In today's world, you have to diversify to make it happen," John Cantamessa said ...
Soon, the entrepreneurs and longtime rafting veterans envision hordes of visitors to Glenwood Springs or Idaho Springs signing up for morning floats and afternoon zips with maybe a riverside lunch or shuttled bike ride in between.
The entrepreneurial plan mirrors that seen in the ski-resort industry, which has spent the past decade developing villages, tubing parks, dining, lodging and a host of activities beyond skiing in an effort to lessen its historical live-or-die reliance on snow.
The two entrepreneurs are also banking on the trend of Americans taking shorter vacations without wanting to sacrifice experience - the center will allow people to experience multiple activities in a small window of time. Additionally, it provides a key link in a multi-county effort to install an outdoor tourism trail that will weave through the state:
"That day is coming," said Martha Tableman, open-space coordinator for Clear Creek County, which has all the easements and land to develop the trail across the county. "These guys doing what they are doing helps our ability to build the greenway. We want to create different opportunities for folks along the way, so this is quite complementary to our greenway vision."
For more information, read the entire article: Colorado Adventure Center a model for all-in-one outdoor attraction