Tourism and outdoor recreation are significant economic drivers

Recent research conducted by Longwoods International illustrates a strong connection between a dynamic tourism campaign and a "halo effect," significantly improving our image for several economic development objectives.

Longwoods found that Colorado's tourism advertising, especially when combined with a subsequent visit, significantly raised the overall image of Colorado in the following categories: A good place to start a business, a good place to start a career, and a good place to retire.

According to Andy Levine of Forbes, "… while tourism marketing has been shown to generate significant economic impact by driving visitation, these research results demonstrate the potential long-term benefits for broader economic development."

Our tourism industry is often underappreciated, but the facts show that our tourism promotion efforts have other benefits that elevate our community and support our businesses in an unintended yet positive manner. How we leverage tourism and outdoor recreation to create a bigger benefit should remain a focus moving forward.

Full story here.