Colorado Tourism Office Seeking Public Input on Strategic Plan to Maximize State’s Tourism Potential

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is scheduling a second round of listening sessions in cities, mountain towns and the plains in mid-October to hear input on proposed priorities for inclusion in a statewide strategic plan for Colorado tourism.

A listening session is set in Lamar from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 6 at the Lamar Cultural Events Center, 102 East Parmenter. Anyone with a stake in the future of Colorado tourism, including community leaders and elected officials, is invited to participate in the 60-minute facilitated discussions. Please RSVP to canyonsandplains@gmail.com.

“This is a chance for Coloradans across the state to take part in identifying the top priorities for maximizing one of the most important industries in our state,” said Cathy Ritter, director of the CTO. “We hope participants will bring their thoughts about challenges that need to be addressed as well as opportunities to drive even more long-term benefits, jobs and tax revenues for communities around our state.”

The listening sessions will be led by Mitch Nichols, President of Nichols Tourism Group of Bellingham, WA, which has been engaged to lead development of the Colorado Tourism Roadmap.

Nichols heads up a consulting team that also includes the Radcliffe Company of Spokane, WA, and the National Laboratory of Tourism and e-Commerce, based at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Findings from the listening sessions will be used to develop goals, strategies and action steps for the plan, which is scheduled for a vote before the Colorado Tourism Board in January. Throughout the roadmap process, the CTO will be seeking public input through http://industry.colorado.com.

The full schedule for the second round of input sessions includes:

• 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 6 at Lamar Cultural Events Center in Lamar

• 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11 at Drake Centre in Fort Collins

• 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 11 at the MSU Denver Hospitality Center in Denver

• 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 12 at Hub City Senior Center in Limon

• 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12 at Rawlings Library in Pueblo

• 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 13 at the Salida SteamPlant in Salida

• 2 p.m. to 3:30p.m. on Thursday, October 13 at the Grand View Room in Vail

• 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, October 14 at City Hall Auditorium in Grand Junction

• 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, October 14 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in Durango

In 2015 Colorado set all-time records welcoming 77.7 million visitors to the state who spent $19.1 billion and generated $1.13 billion in tax revenue.

For the most up-to-date information about the public input sessions, visit http://industry.colorado.com.