Snowmass Tourism Launches Love Snowmass Back Campaign

Aspen —Snowmass Tourism is asking you to love the mountain back. The campaign launched Tuesday isn’t about spending more money. It’s about behaving better.

The initiative, titled “Love Snowmass Back,” targets both residents and visitors. It aims to keep the destination vibrant and sustainable. Marketing Director Virginia McNellis says the goal is high community morale. She wants locals to be proud of their home.

The campaign sits inside Snowmass Tourism’s broader Destination Management Plan. That plan launched last fall. It identified four key areas: people, place, prosperity, and processes. The new push focuses heavily on “place.” McNellis calls caring for the community the heart of it.

A dog named Scout leads the effort. Scout represents the town’s personality. McNellis describes her as warm and welcoming. “We wag our tail every time you come,” she said. The messaging highlights three specific loves: adventure, nature, and community.

Loving adventure means preparation. It’s not just showing up. You need to prepare for altitude. Cell service is not guaranteed. Bring a map. Wear the right footgear. Dress in layers. Use sunscreen. Pack water and snacks.

Loving nature requires restraint. Leave no trace. Follow fire restrictions. Never approach wildlife. Bring a reusable water bottle. Recycle. Stay on marked trails.

Loving community is about etiquette. Know the right of way. Ring your bike bell when passing. Use public transportation.

Dogs have rules too. Follow leash laws. Bring poop bags. Leave them home when they aren’t permitted at events.

McNellis says these actions are part of daily life for locals. They just need reinforcement. “For us, these are all things we know and love as part of our day-to-day life,” she said. “So we just want to reinforce that and share it.”

The campaign tries to bridge the gap between visitor expectations and local reality. McNellis notes a sense when you arrive in the Village that Snowmass loves you. The new effort ensures everyone is on the same page.

“We identified all of the key areas that we really need to be focused on,” McNellis told Aspen Times. “To keep Snowmass a vibrant and sustainable destination for years to come for the community and for visitors.”

There is no new fee. No new tax. Just a shift in behavior. The resources are available online at gosnowmass.com/love/.

Locals might wonder if this changes anything for their commute or property taxes. It doesn’t appear to. The cost is attention, not dollars. The question is whether visitors will listen. Or if they’ll just keep driving past the signs without looking up from their phones.

McNellis hopes locals can be proud when sharing their homes. “It doesn’t always go without saying,” she said. “We want to make sure we talk about what really matters to us.”

The short version is simple. Love the place, and it will love you back. Scout agrees.