From the prairies of eastern Colorado to the high peaks along the Continental Divide, to the red rock canyons of the Western Slope and thriving urban centers, Colorado provides a diverse landscape and vast array of experiences for travelers.
Tourism is one of the strongest economic drivers of Colorado, providing a valuable source of revenue and jobs. In 2016, 82.4 million visitors spent a total of $19.7 billion here, generating $1.2 billion in state and local taxes — an all-time high for the state.
With 1.7 percent of the U.S. population, Colorado has 7.7 percent of the nation’s tourism jobs. The hospitality industry was Colorado’s second-largest employer in 2016, with travel spending generating more than 165,000 jobs and earnings of $5.8 billion. And tourism is expected to generate more Colorado jobs (12,100) in 2017 than any other industry, including education/health services and construction.
On March 15, 2017, the Colorado Tourism Board unanimously adopted the Colorado Tourism Roadmap, a comprehensive strategic plan to build the Colorado tourism industry’s competitive advantage through closer collaboration, creation of new traveler experiences across the state and a fresh focus on sustainable tourism. The Roadmap also created The Colorado Tourism Office’s mission: to drive traveler spending through promotion and development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences throughout our four-corner state.
in the nation for overnight ski trips
tourism jobs
performing state tourism campaign
state partnership with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
state with a dedicated fund supporting the promotion and development of agritourism
Best Places to Visit, Denver and Vail (Forbes 2020)