For the third year in a row, Estes Park has been named the most popular mountain vacation destination in the state according to “The Colorado Travel Year Study 2008,” a profile of Colorado’s visitors by research firm Longwoods International. The study was released June 18.

Other mountain communities named for pleasure trip destinations were Breckenridge and Vail/Beaver Creek.

“Our being recognized as the number number-one mountain vacation destination in the state reflects the CVB’s continued successes in marketing Estes Park to people who are interested in experiencing a Colorado mountain vacation. We’ve found ways to adjust our efforts so we could expand our marketing efforts to emerging markets and our sustained public relations efforts have shown positive results as well,” said CVB Executive Director Tom Pickering. “This has been a calculated strategy based on national trends in the leisure travel industry,” he said

In addition, Pickering said the town’s proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the key factors in Estes Park’s continued popularity. “National Parks continue to be important to the people of all ages, and they are known for being family-friendly and affordable. In our case, we’re privileged to have the Park as our neighbor. ”

In rating vacation experiences, respondents to the state-wide travel research said they found their vacation to be exciting, unique, and worry-free. Other important elements of their visits included sightseeing, the popularity of the state, the climate, and sports and recreation opportunities. The study was conducted for the Colorado Tourism Organization throughout 2008 using two2 million self-completion surveys.

Longwoods International is a Toronto-based marketing research consulting firm. Established in 1978, Longwoods is known as a leader in tourism research.

Estes Park is at the eastern entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.