Colorado is more than mountains - bizjournals:

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But during the two recessions that have hit tourism leaders have watched people get more frugal withtravel dollars, and learnex a little about their One of their key notations is that those who come even in the bad times — or those who wandee across their own state to save money rathere than leave it — are looking for more than just scenerhy to make their vacations memorable. And so, new phrasez have permeated both the thinking of those leaders and the promotional material thatextols Colorado’s virtuese to travelers.
They are terms such as cultural culinary tourism, and beer and wine They’re making a big mark and startingv to diversify the state’s tourism landscape. “In the earl y days, if it didn’t involve snow or it wasn’t really said Doug Caskey, executive director of the . “Now the Tourism Officee is involving all kinds ofother tourism, such as heritages tourism and agritourism ... Most people just think about coming to Coloradoto ski. They don’t usually think about coming to Colorado to visit a winery or have aculinarhy vacation. But that is changing.
” Accordingb to the 2007 Longwoods Visitor Profile Stud commissioned bythe , more peoplwe still come to the Centennial Stater searching for the outdoors than anything else. Mountain s are the prime attraction, accordin g to 44 percent of thosw surveyed. Wilderness, lakes and the natural environment all rankedc in thetop 10. But smal l towns, historic towns and historic area — all hallmarks of cultural heritagstourism — ranked in the top eight as well. Nearlg three times as many people visit breweries in Colorado as elsewherre in theUnited States, and archaeological-site and historic-culture activitiezs also outpace the nationall norm, the study noted.
As such, stat e officials who flew recentlyto Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles to talk to travek writers led the discussions with then shifted to other highlights, said Kim director, Colorado Tourism Office (CTO). Pitching the state now involvesz mentioning its 73 wineries and 99craft breweries, its myriar festivals and its three-year push to establish culturapl heritage tours in different areas of she said. The CTO and also push the nonrecreationall side of Colorado tourism as it reaches out both to residentz and nonresidents to tourthe state.
Both groups have set up websites advertising deals at places ranging from historic homes tolocal “I think it’s easier to promotes the state,” McNulty said of the diversity of “Colorado has so many thing s to do, from a lower-budget-conscious type of vacation to a more luxuriouz type of vacation.” Travelers’ new interests have led to side industries. For two wine tour companies have begujn operatingin Denver. Groups also have begun that organizse “voluntourism” trips that bring people either into or out of Colorado to spend vacations helpingh environmental and socialwelfare causes.
The growthh of choices also has meant that tourisjm officials are advertising Colorado in new places to try to hook specific travelers. Jayne Buck, vice presidentr of tourism forVisif Denver, said the local convention and visitorws bureau is reaching out more to Hispanic travelers, and to gay and lesbianj travelers, both viewed as growinb tourist segments. Its pitch isn’t any different to these groups than to the populationat large, but citiesa that make an effortf to speak to those groups in publications aimed at them have had rewards, she A booming cultural heritagr or wine industry doesn’t just benefit the proprietors of establishmenta that fit into those categories, noted Bob Witham, co-owner of in Grand Junction.
Those who come to the state to see one type of site also have to eat in sleep in hotels and probably visit otheer destinations while they areout here, he and otheres said. “A business like ours makes quite an impact on an individual Witham said. At a time when many businesses and governments are cuttinfg back drasticallyon spending, tourismk promotion in Colorado has been nickedd only slightly. After a lengthh debate over whether to cut tax dollars going to a program that will bring in more tax the Legislature this year cut only 25 percent of the CTO marketing leaving itat $15.6 million, McNulth noted.
With that budget, the office can continu giving grants to develop culturalheritage tours, she said. And it can continur to employ new marketing techniques to reach peopl e who just as much like to sip a localluy made syrah while sauntering through the Snow Goose Festival as thosew who come here to schuss downthe slopes. “Wde are blessed to live in a stater that literally has something for McNulty said. Travel bargains: Want a tourism deal this summer? The city of Denvetr and the state of Colorado both are engaging in efforts to attract area tourists with deals offered bylocakl businesses. To see those promotions, go to www.hotdealscolorado.com or www.denve r 5280deals.com. $9.
8 billion: Amount of annual spending by overnight visitoras toColorado $15.6 million: Marketing budget allocated to Coloradol Tourism Office 200,000: Number of peoplre employed in tourism, second among Colorado industries