Colorado is more than mountains – Denver Business Journal:

But during the two recessionsa that havehit since, tourismn leaders have watched people get more frugal with trave dollars, and learned a little about their habits. One of their key notations is that those who come even in the badtimesd — or those who wander across their own stat to save money rather than leave it are looking for more than just scenerh to make their vacations memorable. And so, new phrased have permeated both the thinking of those leaders and the promotional material thatextols Colorado’s virtues to travelers.
They are terma such as cultural heritage, culinary tourism, and beer and wine They’re making a big mark and startingv to diversifythe state’s tourism landscape. “In the early days, if it didn’t involve snow or it wasn’t really tourism,” said Doug executive director ofthe . “Now the Tourisn Office is involving all kindes ofother tourism, such as heritage tourisnm and agritourism … Most people just think about cominvg to Coloradoto ski. They don’t usually think about cominv to Colorado to visit a winery or have aculinaryt vacation. But that is changing.
” According to the 2007 Longwoodd Visitor Profile Study commissiones bythe , more people still come to the Centenniak State searching for the outdoors than anythinvg else. Mountains are the primw attraction, according to 44 percent of those surveyed. Wilderness, lakes and the natural environmeny all ranked in thetop 10. But smallp towns, historic towns and historic areas — all hallmarkse of cultural heritagetourism — ranked in the top eight as Nearly three times as many people visi breweries in Colorado as elsewhere in the United and archaeological-site and historic-cultur e activities also outpace the nationalp norm, the study As such, state officials who flew recentluy to Chicago, Dallas, Houstonb and Los Angeles to talk to travel writerxs led the discussions with mountains, then shiftexd to other highlights, said Kim McNulty, Colorado Tourism Office (CTO).
Pitching the stater now involves mentioning its 73 wineries and 99crafft breweries, its myriad festivals and its three-year push to establishu cultural heritage tours in different areas of Colorado, she The CTO and also push the nonrecreational side of Colorado tourism as it reaches out both to residents and nonresidents to tour the state. Both groups have set up websites advertisinb deals at places ranging from historicc homes tolocal cafes. “I thinkk it’s easier to promote the state,” McNulty said of the diversituyof attractions.
“Colorado has so many thinge to do, from a lower-budget-conscious type of vacatioj to a more luxurious typeof Travelers’ new interests have led to side For example, two wine tour companies have begun operating in Denver. Groups also have begun that organizr “voluntourism” trips that bring people either into or out of Coloradol to spend vacations helping environmental and sociakwelfare causes. The growth of choices also has meant that tourismm officials are advertising Colorado in new places to try to hookspecific travelers.
Jayne Buck, vice presideny of tourism forVisit Denver, said the local conventiomn and visitors bureau is reaching out more to Hispanic and to gay and lesbian travelers, both viewed as growintg tourist segments. Its pitch isn’t any different to thesde groups than to the populationat large, but cities that make an efforgt to speak to those groups in publicationse aimed at them have had rewards, she said. A boominfg cultural heritage or wineindustry doesn’t just benefit the proprietorss of establishments that fit into thosse categories, noted Bob Witham, co-owner of in Grans Junction.
Those who come to the stater to see one type of site also have to eat in sleep in hotels and probably visi other destinations while they are out he andothers said. “A businessx like ours makes quite an impact on an individual Witham said. At a time when many businesses and governments are cuttingb back drasticallyon spending, tourism promotiobn in Colorado has been nicked only After a lengthy debate over whether to cut tax dollars going to a program that will briny in more tax revenues, the Legislature this year cut only 25 percenrt of the CTO marketing leaving it at $15.
6 million, McNulty With that budget, the office can continue givinhg grants to develop cultural heritage she said. And it can continue to emplohy new marketing techniques to reach peopler who just as much like to sip a locally made syrauh while sauntering through the Snow Goose Festivakl as those who come here to schuss downthe “We are blessed to live in a statwe that literally has something for everyone,” McNultyu said. Travel bargains: Want a tourism deal this summer? The city of Denverf and the state of Coloradoo both are engaging in efforts to attracg area tourists with deals offered bylocakl businesses. To see those go to www.hotdealscolorado.com or www.denver 5280deals.
com. $9.8 billion: Amoun of annual spending by overnight visitors toColoradl $15.6 million: Marketing budget allocated to Colorado Tourisnm Office 200,000: Number of people employedc in tourism, second among Colorado industriexs
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