15 Grants Support Colorado Destinations Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Description: City of La Junta awarded $20,000 grant to launch an educational campaign to inspire responsible and respectful visitation during the annual tarantula migration in Southeast Colorado each fall.


Published: 04/14/2022
Byline: Hart

15 Grants Support Colorado Destinations Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic

DENVER -- The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), announced today the recipients of its Tourism Management Grant. The Tourism Management Grant provides funding for tourism-related projects that develop, enhance or manage visitor experience in Colorado.

“Colorado provides an unparalleled experience for travelers but the economic impact from COVID-19 has been felt by destinations across the state due to industry job losses, low visitor spending and lodging tax decreases and more,” said OEDIT Deputy Director Jeff Kraft. “These grants provide much-needed support to industry partners in every corner of Colorado and point to a bright future for the state’s tourism industry.”
“We received an extraordinary number of qualified applicants for this grant opportunity, pointing to significant demand for tourism management and stewardship support,” said CTO Director Tim Wolfe. “The innovations and strategies proposed demonstrate how Colorado’s tourism industry continues to evolve in the wake of the pandemic. We’re committed to partnering with industry leaders and communities to advance the management of tourism that protect and preserve what makes Colorado special.” 

The Tourism Management Grant awardees are:

Canyons & Plains Of Southeast Colorado Regional Heritage Taskforce ($15,537) to launch a new initiative that enhances immersion into the cultural heritage of Southeast Colorado by developing 10 virtual adventures that build on the momentum of the recent Bicentennial of the Santa Fe Trail. Southeast Colorado Attractions Going Virtual Through Canyons & Plains Grant Award

City of Fruita ($20,000) to construct three miles of beginner-level single-track trail at the North Fruita Desert Specialized Recreation Management Area to increase access and enhance visitor dispersion.

City of La Junta ($20,000) to launch an educational campaign to inspire responsible and respectful visitation during the annual tarantula migration in Southeast Colorado each fall.

City of Loveland Economic Development Corporation ($20,000) to conduct a visitor profile study to enhance tourism information that fosters repeat visitation and encourages responsible visitation on Colorado public lands.

Colorado Cross Country Ski Association ($20,000) to foster inclusive travel by enhancing digital content that increases access to information targeted to disabled populations, families and less-visited locations.

Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak ($20,000) to curate a series of replicable tourism itineraries that highlight creative arts in the Pikes Peak Wonders travel region for use in future campaigns.

Marble Crystal River Chamber ($20,000) to convene training sessions that educate visitors and residents about the importance of protecting natural and cultural assets, while also installing signage that encourages responsible visitation along the Lead King Loop.

Poudre Heritage Alliance ($20,000) to launch the Colorado Heritage Journeys Scavenger Hunt Series to disperse visitation by encouraging travelers to interactively explore the Sangre de Cristo, Cache la Poudre River and South Park National Heritage Areas.

San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLVGO) ($20,000) to launch a San Luis Valley Gravel Adventure Field Guide that builds visitor and residential awareness of low-impact travel experiences, while also dispersing visitors to less-visited areas and promoting local businesses.Tourism

Carbondale ($14,000) to enhance the existing Roaring Fork + Farm Map by validating available agritourism experiences, refining visitor information about available experiences and distributing information that disperses travelers and supports local businesses.

Visit Durango ($20,000) to foster inclusive travel by launching a new initiative that integrates La Plata County's diverse cultural history into tourism promotion, while also building tourism workforce capacity to interpret this history into visitor experiences.

Visit Estes Park ($20,000) to install an interactive visitor information kiosk at the Estes Park Visitor Center that encourages travelers to purchase timed-entry permits at Rocky Mountain National Park, utilize public transportation and travel to less-visited areas.

Visit Fort Collins ($20,000) to foster inclusive travel opportunities by translating existing content on visitftcollins.com into the Spanish language, producing more diverse creative assets and developing new tourism content that is welcoming to all audiences.

Visit Pueblo ($20,000) to develop low-impact travel experiences by curating a series of gravel biking experiences that allow Pueblo County visitors and residents to experience the destination in a new way that connects them to local businesses.

Winter Park & Fraser Chamber of Commerce ($20,000) to develop a Sustainable Community Plan for Winter Park and Fraser that guides tourism strategy and planning in a way that balances visitation with quality of life for residents and visitor experience.

The maximum grant amount is $20,000 and the required match is 4:1. For every $1 the qualifying grantee allocates to the proposed project, the Colorado Tourism Office will provide $4 in matching funds. Grant recipients were selected by an evaluation committee that applied a competitive process based on alignment with the eligible use of funds, the ability to advance the selection criteria, demonstrated need, organizational capacity and availability of matching funds.

Read more articles like this:

seconews.org/press-releases



Follow SECO News on Facebook.
Subscribe to the SECO News YouTube Channel.



Press releases Sponsor



Announcements Sponsor



Healthcare Sponsor