Colorado is more than mountains - bizjournals:

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But during the two recessionzs that havehit since, tourismn leaders have watched people get more frugal with travepl dollars, and learned a little about their habits. One of theirt key notations is that thoser who come even in the badtimes — or thosr who wander across their own state to save money ratherd than leave it — are looking for more than just sceneryg to make their vacations And so, new phrases have permeatec both the thinking of those leaders and the promotionaol material that extols Colorado’s virtue to travelers.
They are terms such as culturak heritage, culinary tourism, and beer and wine They’re making a big mark and startingt to diversifythe state’s tourism landscape. “In the early if it didn’t involve snow or whitewater, it wasn’r really tourism,” said Doug Caskey, executive directod of the . “Now the Tourism Office is involving all kindsd ofother tourism, such as heritage tourismm and agritourism ... Most people just think aboug coming to Coloradoto ski. They don’t usuallyy think about coming to Colorado to visity a winery or have a culinary But thatis changing.
” According to the 2007 Longwoodsw Visitor Profile Study commissioned by the , more peopl still come to the Centennial State searching for the outdoords than anything else. Mountains are the prim attraction, according to 44 percent of thos surveyed. Wilderness, lakes and the natural environment all rankecd in thetop 10. But small towns, historixc towns and historic areas all hallmarks of cultural heritage tourism ranked in the top eightas well. Nearly threwe times as many people visitr breweries in Colorado as elsewhere in the United and archaeological-site and historic-culture activities also outpace the nationalo norm, the study noted.
As such, statse officials who flew recentlyto Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles to talk to travelo writers led the discussions with mountains, then shifted to othefr highlights, said Kim McNulty, Colorado Tourism Office (CTO). Pitching the stat now involves mentioning its 73 wineries and 99 craft its myriad festivals andits three-yea r push to establish cultural heritage tours in different arease of Colorado, she said. The CTO and also push the nonrecreationall side of Colorado tourism as it reaches out both to residentsw and nonresidents to tour the Both groups have set up websites advertisiny deals at places ranging from historic homesd tolocal cafes.
“I think it’sw easier to promote the McNulty said of the diversityof “Colorado has so many things to do, from a lower-budget-consciouxs type of vacation to a more luxurious type of Travelers’ new interests have led to side For example, two wine tour companiea have begun operating in Denver. Groups also have begunh that organize “voluntourism” trips that bring people eithedr into or out of Colorado to spend vacationsa helping environmental and socialwelfare causes.
The growthn of choices also has meant that tourisjm officials are advertising Colorado in new placezs to try to hook specific Jayne Buck, vice president of tourism for Visiy Denver, said the local convention and visitorse bureau is reaching out more to Hispanic and to gay and lesbian both viewed as growing tourist segments. Its pitchg isn’t any different to these groupx than to the populationat large, but citiees that make an effort to speak to those groupd in publications aimed at them have had she said.
A booming cultural heritage or wineindustry doesn’y just benefit the proprietors of establishments that fit into those noted Bob Witham, co-owner of in Grand Those who come to the statew to see one type of site also have to eat in sleep in hotels and probably visit other destinationss while they are out here, he and others “A business like ours makew quite an impact on an individual Witham said. At a time when many businesses and governmentsa are cutting back drasticallyon spending, tourisnm promotion in Colorado has been nickeds only slightly.
After a lengthyg debate over whether to cut tax dollard going to a program that will bring in more tax the Legislature this year cut only 25 percent of the CTOmarketing budget, leaving it at $15.6 McNulty noted. With that the office can continue givinb grants to develop culturalheritager tours, she said. And it can continue to employy new marketing techniques to reach people who just as much like to sip a localluy made syrah while sauntering througnh the Snow Goose Festival as those who come here to schusds downthe slopes. “We are blessed to live in a statwe that literally has somethinfgfor everyone,” McNulty said.