Every year the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition collects sustainable tourism stories and good practices from destinations all over the world to be shared as inspiring examples to others, from tourism professionals to travelers. By telling their stories, destinations are acknowledged and recognized for the solutions they have implemented in response to destination management and sustainability challenges. With the tourism sector facing very challenging times, the resiliency and hard work of these destinations to be more responsible in tourism should be celebrated.
The 2023 Top 100 Stories list was announced by Green Destinations on October 9th in Estonia. This annual competition celebrates international destinations that have notably implemented sustainability best practices. Breckenridge was recognized for its “More Boot and Bikes” submission that focused on mobility options that get people out of cars to experience Breckenridge.
Breckenridge has a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation 25% by 2030 and 91% by 2050 as well as to reduce vehicle trips and congestion. As a culturally rich and historically significant town, it is consistently ranked as one of the most visited ski resorts in North America. Centrally located 2-4 hours from major metro areas, Breckenridge experiences increased pressure from traffic and parking demands, truck deliveries, construction services, in-bound workforce commuters, and destination visitors. Combined with wayfinding challenges and lack of last mile connectivity, mobility has become a central focus of the destination management and long-range sustainability plans.
"We are deeply honored to be recognized for the third time on Green Destinations Top 100 Stories List," said Jessie Burley, Sustainability & Parking Manager. "This recognition is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our community members, local businesses, and government partners who have come together to implement our sustainability programs. It is a milestone that reflects our shared commitment to destination management and building a sustainable future for generations to come."
This year’s Top 100 submission focused on mobility efforts implemented to help address greenhouse gas reductions, transit engagement, and last mile services. Most notably, the Town launched the Breck E-Ride in May which served to connect people from workforce neighborhoods and transit stops to workplaces, community hubs, and places of interest. Over 19,500 trips were taken between May and October with an average distance of 1.6 miles and over 16,700 pounds of carbon pollution saved.
“The ridership on the e-bike share program during its first season exceeded our expectations. The community embraced the program and found the bikes to be a useful mobility tool for getting around on,” said Teddy Wilkinson, Sustainability Administrator. “We look forward to adding more e-bikes and hub locations in 2024.”
Submissions were evaluated by the Green Destinations Top 100 Team, country experts and Green Destination Partners, coordinated by Green Destinations. The Top 100 Committee stresses that selection to the Top 100 list does not imply the destination is sustainable, but that the destination has a minimum level of compliance with the core criteria of the Green Destinations Standard and selected based on the assessment of their Good Practice Story.
The competition is held under the auspices of the Top 100 Partnership, with special contributions by: Green Destinations, QualityCoast, Travelife, ITB Berlin, Asian Ecotourism Network, Ecotourism Australia, Global Ecotourism Network, Sustainable First and GLP Films. This competition is also supported by the Future of Tourism Coalition.
For more information about Breckenridge’s Good Practice Story, please visit https://www.greendestinations.org/breckenridge-usa/
For more information about Green Destinations, please visit Top 100 2023 Destination Stories | Green Destinations
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Results, achievements and recognitions
As a result of years of careful planning, the Town of Breckenridge is honored to be a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community awarded by the League of American Bicyclists. This application and evaluation are required every two years.
Since the launch, over 2,500 rides have occurred on the Breck E-Ride averaging just under 2 miles and 30 minutes in duration.
The Free Ride’s ridership has increased year over year until COVID and is rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, 750,000 riders utilized the Free Ride.
The Free Ride was awarded CASTA’s Outstanding Transit Initiative Award in 2022 for after school transportation assistance.
Additional references
News: With mandate for ‘more boots and bikes and less cars,’ town of Breckenridge launches e-bike program aimed at residents | SummitDaily.com News: USA Today News: 9News Bike Share: Breck E-Ride (breckeride.com) Transit: Breckenridge, CO Transit | Home (breckfreeride.com) Parking: Breck Park - Breckenridge Parking - HOME EV Charging: Breckenridge, Colorado EV Charging Stations | PlugShare Pre-Arrival Messaging: Video: No Car? No Problem, Why You Don’t Need a Car To Visitor Breckenridge, Colorado Pre-Arrival Messaging: 5 Ways To Get Around Breckenridge Without a Car- Breckenridge, CO (gobreck.com) Pre-Arrival Messaging: How to Get from Breckenridge to Denver - Breckenridge (gobreck.com) Alternative Options: Sustainable Transportation | SustainableBreck Regional Partnerships: Snowstang | Denver Ski Mountain Bus Service | Bustang (ridebustang.com) Regional Partnerships: Summit Stage | Summit County, CO - Official Website (summitcountyco.gov)
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