Additional Funding in 2018 for smaller communities
A new tour of community theaters in five Colorado mountain towns and a cutting edge transmedia storytelling program in Saguache County are among 33 projects that will share more than $630,000 in Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) marketing matching grants this year.
The grants program, aimed at helping destinations and nonprofits create and promote Colorado travel opportunities, also will be supporting development of itineraries for travelers to explore the newly branded Mountains & Mesas travel region in southwestern Colorado.
“One of the best ways we can foster the creation of new traveler experiences in Colorado is by giving local destinations and attractions the power to put their great ideas into action,” said CTO Director Cathy Ritter. “To that end, we’re dedicating an additional $100,000 this year to create a Small Marketing Matching Grants program to help smaller communities share their stories with travelers.”
A total of 23 grantees won grants ranging from $11,166 to the maximum $25,000 and will match their awards dollar for dollar. Another 10 grantees won funding under the new small grants program, which range up to $10,000 and require a 4:1 match. The grants will support destination initiatives in 35 of the state’s 64 counties.
One of the most unique projects selected for funding was submitted by Saguache County Tourism Council for $25,000. Backed by more than 60 local businesses, the experiential program will give visitors the opportunity to explore the county's rich historical and mythical stories online while scouting out significant sites across the county.
Click here for the full list of grantees and grant information.
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About the Colorado Tourism Office: The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is a division of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The CTO’s mission is to generate traveler spending by promotion of Colorado as a four-season, four-corner, world-class travel destination and development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences. In 2017, Colorado travelers spent $20.9 billion, generating $1.28 billion in local and state revenues, reducing the tax burden for every Coloradan by $228. Tourism is the state’s second largest employer, directly supporting 171,000 jobs. For more information, please visit https://industry.colorado.com.