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Colorado Tourism Office

Tim Wolfe, Director

Jill Corbin, Deputy Director, Destination Stewardship

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CTO Vision

Empower the tourism industry by inspiring the world to explore Colorado responsibly and respectfully.

Approach

Statewide collaboration with destination marketing organizations, local communities, agencies and private businesses to advance the strength and resilience of the entire industry through partnership, inclusiveness, innovation and leadership.

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250-150
2023 - occ, pace, Longwood’s
International
Destination Stewardship Update
CTO Opportunities
CTO New Initiatives

Agenda

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ALL IN ON THE SESQUISEMIQUIN

You’re part of something big. �

John Fielder, Sunlight Basin, Weminuche Wilderness

History Colorado, 2023.1.1770

Colorado 150 | America 250

�

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Say it because you can:

Semiquincentennial.

Sesquicentennial.

Sesquisemiquincentennial.

In 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—our Semiquincentennial.

At the same time, Colorado will celebrate our 150th anniversary of entering the Union—our Sesquicentennial.

Together they make a commemoration like none other in the nation—Colorado’s Sesquisemiquincentennial.

John Fielder, Colorado National Monument 4

History Colorado, 2023.1.295

You’re part of something big.

Colorado 150 | America 250

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WHAT IS THE SESQUISEMIQUIN?

The America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission is committed to recognizing that our shared history includes the experiences of all who have called Colorado home, and that Colorado’s story does not end at our state borders but is part of the broader American story.

Starting in the fall of 2025 and throughout 2026, Colorado’s Sesquisemiquincentennial will be an opportunity for every Coloradan to come together as we:

Celebrate Colorado by acknowledging our complete history
Honor what makes Colorado unique
Embrace our shared destiny as we strive toward a more perfect union.

An Opportunity

John Fielder, Colorado Trail Columbines

History Colorado, USE.259.12

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CREATING MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES

COMMEMORATING OUR SHARED HISTORY

Signature Initiatives

Denver Nuggets 2023 Championship Parade

credit: Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette

SUPPORTING COLORADO COMMUNITIES

Public festivals and gatherings
Colorado Passport Program
14er Climb
A Portrait of Colorado at 150
New Public Art Pieces

Museums Exhibitions and Cultural Experiences
Colorado Heritage for All Historic Preservation
Historic Markers
New Scholarship and Publications
Educational Materials

Unified Branding and Awareness Building
Statewide Calendar of Events
Support for Local Programming

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Support local efforts:

Join regional Advisory Panel members and Local Organizing Committees as they plan for 2026�
Contact your regional representatives on am250co150.org

Showcase your event: ��

Post your event to the statewide calendar �
The calendar is available for all events in Colorado�
Submit your event on am250co150.org

Use the 250-150 logo:

Use the logo to highlight your Sesquisemiquin events and programs�
The logo is free to use and can be downloaded on am250co150.org

Get involved

A Sesquisemiquin for all of Colorado

You’re Part of Something Big.

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Or visit us at am250co150.org

Be a part of Making it Happen

Bring the 250-150 to life for your fellow Coloradans

Sponsorship opportunities are

available at a variety of levels

To learn more about how you can

help make it happen, please

contact us today

Sponsor contact: Amy Slothower

amy@causeeffectadvisory.com

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Colorado’s Accommodations Pace

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2023 Actual - Hotel Star Dec YTD

Decrease in revenues

State Occ Flat

State ADR did not keep pace with 2023 inflation rate of 5.3%*

*Source: Bureau of Labor Stats

Decrease in Occ lead to lower restaurant, retail, attractions & outdoor rec

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2024 Actual - Hotel Star MAY YTD

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Colorado Hotel – Regional Highs (Jan-May 2024)

Source: STR

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Source: STR

Colorado Hotel – Regional Lows (Jan-May 2024)

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Occupancy (%) - Colorado - Direct Source

Source: Key Data

Colorado Short Term Rental Occupancy decreased 5.4%, ADR increased 2.4%, and RevPAR decreased 4.8% Year-Over-Year

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Occupancy (%) - Colorado - scraped

Source: Key Data

Colorado Short Term Rental Occupancy increased 0.7%, ADR increased 2.6%, and RevPAR increased 3.4% Year-Over-Year

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Occ (%) – Colorado Pacing - Direct Source

Source: Key Data

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Occupancy (%) – Colorado Pacing - scraped

Source: Key Data

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Source: Key Data

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Source: Key Data

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Source: Key Data

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Source: Key Data

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Colorado Domestic Overnight Market Share

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International & Ski

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International Forecast

Economic impact - spend up to 5x more
Stay longer
Environmentally conscious
CO 6 markets @ $2.5M - UK, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia, Canada

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CO International Arrivals to 2019

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CO International Arrivals by Country

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2023 Colorado Int’l Skier

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2023 Colorado Int’l Skier

Changes over the last several years:

Product –vs- Destination EPIC / IKON

Peak Int’l Ski share 2014/15 @ 7.2%

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2023 Colorado Int’l Skier

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2024 Ski Results

Apr 22, 2024 — Vail Resorts reports fewer skiers, more revenue in late-season report. Skier visits drop nearly 8% compared to last year.

May 2024 - Numbers in the Rocky Mountain Region, which includes Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico in addition to Colorado, declined 5%.

June 2024 - Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced at its 61st Annual Meeting today that Colorado saw a projected 14 million skier visits across the state for the 2023-24 season. The projected total is a decrease of approximately 5% from last season’s record-breaking total and represents the second highest skier visit total on record for the state.

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Destination Stewardship Update

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Destination Stewardship

CTO’s Destination Stewardship department works to support a balance between quality of life for residents and quality of experience for visitors, while enhancing our environment and communities.

Our 3 main goals are:

Protect the integrity of Colorado’s natural and cultural resources
Advance inclusiveness and pursue ways that Colorado can share a welcoming experience for all travelers
Foster a regenerative and community-focused approach to tourism

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Success

Preserve Colorado’s natural, cultural, and social assets
Maximize benefits and minimize impacts for Coloradans
Deliver remarkable visitor experiences
Long-term sustainability of the tourism industry

Plan Outputs

Coalition
Understanding
Alignment
Practical Strategies
Commitments
Indicators

COLORADO�DESTINATION STEWARDSHIP PLAN

Denver & Cities of the Rockies

Destination Stewardship Plan

Pioneering Plains

Destination Stewardship Plan

Canyons & Plains

Destination Stewardship Plans

Mystic San Luis Valley

Destination Stewardship Plan

Pikes Peak Wonders

Destination Stewardship Plan

Rockies Playground

Destination Stewardship Plan

Mountains & Mesas

Destination Stewardship Plan

The Great West

Destination Stewardship Plan

Destination Stewardship Strategic Planning Initiative

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Destination Stewardship Strategic Planning Initiative

Investigation & Listening

02

Regional Stewardship Planning

04

Implementation Planning

05

Stakeholder Outreach

01

Statewide Stewardship Planning

03

Strategy Framework & Glossary of Industry Terms

Draft Statewide Strategy

Draft Regional Strategies

Final Statewide & Regional Strategies

MILESTONES

PROJECT PLAN

JUNE 2023

JUNE 2024

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Draft Strategy Framework

5 Sections

Overarching Vision Statement

Key Focus Area 1

Key Focus �Area 2

10 Sections

146 Strategies

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Outdoor

Recreation

Climate

Tourism Industry

Cultural Heritage

Workforce

Communities

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Transportation

Arts & Creative Industries

Agriculture & Food

Identifying Priorities

FOUNDATIONAL DESTINATION STEWARDSHIP STRATEGIES

Dreaming and Awareness

2. Planning and Research

5. Experiencing the Destination

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Summary of Public Feedback on Statewide Plan

Two Public Webinars in April
Survey form to collect overall feedback and comments

80% of respondents scored at least 7/10 satisfactory with the plan

"Education is great and necessary, but we need to find a way to get additional enforcement of the various rules, closures, etc.”

"I have lived here for twenty-four years and believe in the unique value of our town. I fully support the proposed plan."

"Covered a wide range of topics including major pain points."

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Feedback Summary on

Regional Plans

Appreciation of the process and better understanding of CTO’s work and support available
The plan is comprehensive but dense
DMOs are ready to lead locally but need more tools and help connecting to other local government agencies and state agencies
DMOs want to learn from each other
Request for more tools and programs to engage the tourism businesses to support these efforts
Overall attitude shift and feeling of optimism for the future

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Southern Ute Tribal Council Feedback

Add land acknowledgement to the strategy introduction
Add a strategy to increase presence of land acknowledgements where possible (publications, websites, events, trail heads)
Partnership on programming and grants
More collaboration locally with Visit Durango
Initial conversations, looking forward to more discussion and idea sharing

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Next Steps

Public Launch & Celebration

Implementation

Destination Stewardship Research Initiative

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Grant and Educational

Opportunities

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Support for tourism marketing campaigns and initiatives
Minimum request - $2,500 and the Maximum request - $50,000

$2,500 - $20,000 - 4:1 match required
$20,001 - $50,000 - 2:1 match required

Eligibility

Nonprofit CO destination and tourism leadership organizations, CO industry associations, Government entities in CO

Informational Webinar - next Tuesday, July 16 at 11:00 am
Applications close 4:00 pm on Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Tourism Marketing Grant

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Tourism Management Grants

Funding for tourism-related projects that develop, enhance or manage visitor experience in CO
$20,000 maximum, 4:1 match required
Applications open in December

GovCon Professional Scholarship - 1st-time attendees

Free conference registration & lodging
September 25 - 27 in Mt. Crested Butte
Applications close August 1, 2024

CTO Learning Labs
Care for Colorado Coalition
Inclusivity in Travel Coalition

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Destination Development

Blueprint Program

Destination assessment
Community visioning and action planning workshop
100 hours of project-based consulting

Mentor Program

100 hours of consulting
Applications open Tuesday, September 19, 2024

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CTO Initiatives

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New Colorado Tourism Initiatives

Do Colorado Right - ran local campaign & reviewing public private partnerships
Ski Show - IPW - International Marketing & Database
eXchange - dynamic pricing for hotels for Tour Operators - Q3 of 2024
Colorado Michelin Guide - just the 3rd state in the US
Welcome Center Program & Rural Support

CTO Direct Industry Support

Meetings & Events Incentive – closed applications Jan 31, 2024
Federal EDA recovery granted - $2M to front range including Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Loveland, La Junta & Logan County
Photography - Use of CARES for photoshoot distributed to DMO’s around the state with a DEIA lens (new Marketing Portal)

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Summer Do Colorado Right Activations

2 Hydration Stations

4 Pedicabs

10,000+ Aluminum Cups

Approx. 2,000 RecyClaw Plays

Campaigns:

Water Safety

Eat Local

RTD Train Wrap

DEN Refill Stations

Do Colorado Right had a large presence at the Outside Festival in Denver on June 1-2

We are sponsored the 2 water refill stations and featured DCR messaging
RecyClaw Machine - this is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with Ball Corporation. The RecyClaw is similar to an arcade game where you use a claw to pick up a stuffed animal. But in this case, the claw will pick up DCR swag. The ticket to play will be recycling an aluminum bottle or cup. We gave away over 1,000 “Do Colorado Right” tote bags as prizes.

The current RecyClaw at Ball Arena in Denver attracts a large crowd every game, so we anticipate this to be a big hit

4 Pedicabs featured Do Colorado Right creative and offered free rides during the festival
All aluminum cups at the festival were branded Do Colorado Right and Colorado Tourism Office

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkvr33rWSzU.

Tourism eXchange

Do Colorado Right had a large presence at the Outside Festival in Denver on June 1-2

We are sponsored the 2 water refill stations and featured DCR messaging
RecyClaw Machine - this is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with Ball Corporation. The RecyClaw is similar to an arcade game where you use a claw to pick up a stuffed animal. But in this case, the claw will pick up DCR swag. The ticket to play will be recycling an aluminum bottle or cup. We gave away over 1,000 “Do Colorado Right” tote bags as prizes.

The current RecyClaw at Ball Arena in Denver attracts a large crowd every game, so we anticipate this to be a big hit

4 Pedicabs featured Do Colorado Right creative and offered free rides during the festival
All aluminum cups at the festival were branded Do Colorado Right and Colorado Tourism Office

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Welcome Center - AI

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Do Colorado Right had a large presence at the Outside Festival in Denver on June 1-2

We are sponsored the 2 water refill stations and featured DCR messaging
RecyClaw Machine - this is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with Ball Corporation. The RecyClaw is similar to an arcade game where you use a claw to pick up a stuffed animal. But in this case, the claw will pick up DCR swag. The ticket to play will be recycling an aluminum bottle or cup. We gave away over 1,000 “Do Colorado Right” tote bags as prizes.

The current RecyClaw at Ball Arena in Denver attracts a large crowd every game, so we anticipate this to be a big hit

4 Pedicabs featured Do Colorado Right creative and offered free rides during the festival
All aluminum cups at the festival were branded Do Colorado Right and Colorado Tourism Office

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Do Colorado Right had a large presence at the Outside Festival in Denver on June 1-2

We are sponsored the 2 water refill stations and featured DCR messaging
RecyClaw Machine - this is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with Ball Corporation. The RecyClaw is similar to an arcade game where you use a claw to pick up a stuffed animal. But in this case, the claw will pick up DCR swag. The ticket to play will be recycling an aluminum bottle or cup. We gave away over 1,000 “Do Colorado Right” tote bags as prizes.

The current RecyClaw at Ball Arena in Denver attracts a large crowd every game, so we anticipate this to be a big hit

4 Pedicabs featured Do Colorado Right creative and offered free rides during the festival
All aluminum cups at the festival were branded Do Colorado Right and Colorado Tourism Office

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Do Colorado Right had a large presence at the Outside Festival in Denver on June 1-2

We are sponsored the 2 water refill stations and featured DCR messaging
RecyClaw Machine - this is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with Ball Corporation. The RecyClaw is similar to an arcade game where you use a claw to pick up a stuffed animal. But in this case, the claw will pick up DCR swag. The ticket to play will be recycling an aluminum bottle or cup. We gave away over 1,000 “Do Colorado Right” tote bags as prizes.

The current RecyClaw at Ball Arena in Denver attracts a large crowd every game, so we anticipate this to be a big hit

4 Pedicabs featured Do Colorado Right creative and offered free rides during the festival
All aluminum cups at the festival were branded Do Colorado Right and Colorado Tourism Office

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Where to Find Us

Industry

Industry Site: www.oedit.colorado.gov/colorado-tourism-office
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/showcase/colorado-tourism-office/

Consumer

Website: www.colorado.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/visitcolorado
Instagram: www.instagram.com/VisitColorado
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Colorado

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Q&A

THANK YOU