Projects funded by state tourism office are designed to lure more visitors to Southern Colorado

A social media influencer program in Fremont County, a GPS tour of Prowers County and a marketing campaign highlighting lesser-known sites in the Pikes Peak Region – these projects are each getting $40,000 matching grants from the Colorado Tourism Office. The goal is to try and bring more people in to visit the area.

Huerfano County is getting nearly $30,000 to fund a film shoot. They’ll collect video and audio of the Scenic Highway of Legends, Cuchara Mountain Park and other key points to use in various marketing campaigns. Other recently funded marketing projects include tourism website upgrades in Trinidad and the Pikes Peak area.

These grants are among 16 recently announced matching awards of up to $50,000, totaling $592,525 statewide this year.

Also, the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce was recently selected to participate in the Colorado Tourism Office’s new pilot Accessible Travel Program and receive a variety of resources, including:

• On-site accessibility assessments for up to 23 accommodations and attractions
• Marketing support to list verified accessible sites on Wheel The World’s platform
• Free online training for hospitality professionals on accessible travel best practices
• A final summary report with recommendations for continued accessibility efforts

Other pilot program participants include Beaver Creek Resort Company and Glenwood Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Southern Colorado communities receiving this year's Tourism Marketing Grants:

• City of Trinidad ($40,000): To support a tourism website redesign for Trinidad to include updated content, improved website navigation and expanded visitor experiences.
• Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau ($40,000): To support a multimedia marketing campaign highlighting neighborhoods and towns across the Pikes Peak Region to increase awareness of lesser-known locales and showcase year-round adventure.
• Fremont County Tourism Council ($40,000): To grow an influencer program to increase Fremont County Tourism Council profile visits, engagement, link clicks and more. This investment will complement existing organic social and paid advertising efforts.
• Huerfano County ($29,985): To fund a comprehensive three-day film shoot designed to showcase key points of interest, including the Scenic Highway of Legends, Cuchara Mountain Park, and partnerships with local lodging providers. The video and audio assets will be utilized for future marketing campaigns.
• Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association ($50,000): To fully refresh their website by updating the user interface and the overall architecture and development processes. This includes adding Spanish translation and improving website accessibility.
• Prowers County Lodging Tax Panel ($40,000): To produce a GPS-enabled audio tour highlighting 10 significant locations in Prowers County including the towns of Holly, Granada, and Lamar.

Communities elsewhere in Colorado receiving this year's Tourism Marketing Grants:

• City of Ouray ($20,000): To build awareness of Ouray as a winter destination through an expanded winter marketing campaign.
• Colorado Cross Country Ski Association ($49,300): To develop and promote a mobile app that will serve as a digital visitor hub, enhancing the visitor experience and encouraging exploration of Colorado's Nordic centers.
• Fort Collins Conventions & Visitors Bureau ($50,000): To implement a Sounds of Fort Collins campaign to promote the city's rich musical heritage, which will include the development of a comprehensive music marketing strategy, a new music-focused microsite, video content featuring live performances and interviews with local musicians, and targeted promotions for music festivals.
• Lake County - Opera 403 ($38,000): To expand awareness of the Colorado Historic Opera House Circuit and support cultural and heritage tourism in local communities.
• Lake County - Trails 132 ($10,240): To help Colorado residents and visitors navigate the year-round recreation opportunities that Lake County has to offer and do so responsibly.
• Marketing Telluride, Inc. ($50,000): To assist in an international digital marketing campaign that promotes Telluride tourism to the Mexican market.
• Meeker Chamber Of Commerce ($15,000): To update and increase their printed educational materials as part of their Conversation Starter Campaign which is phase one of their marketing strategy. Many organizations in the region rely on these materials to distribute valuable information to visitors.
• Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board ($50,000): To elevate Pagosa Springs and Alamosa as desirable international travel destinations to audiences in the UK and Germany.
• Ridgway Area Chamber Of Commerce ($20,000): To support a targeted marketing initiative aimed at revitalizing the Ridgway business district, home to both a historic and creative sector.
• Town Of Frisco ($50,000): To execute a strategic and integrated public relations campaign centered on developing brand awareness locally, regionally and nationally of the Town of Frisco as a distinct mountain destination.