Overview

Logan County was approved to participate in the Reimagine Destinations Program by the Colorado Tourism Office in July 2022. Program objectives included: 

• advance strategies that foster a year-round regional tourism economy
• identify opportunities to bolster the regional tourism workforce
• identify strategies that build regional awareness of the value of tourism
• advance activities that develop and enhance visitor experience

The Northeast Colorado Travel Region (NECTR) comprises Morgan, Logan, Washington, Yuma, Sedgwick, and Phillips counties. Known for its fertile land and agricultural heritage, the region provides access to wildlife and outdoor activities, such as birdwatching, hunting, and fishing. Hiking and camping opportunities are also available at numerous parks and lakes, such as Jackson Lake and North Sterling State Parks. Visitors have also been immersing themselves in agritourism activities through on-farm experiences and tasting the bounty of the area.

NECTR was formed in 1989 with a mission to promote and encourage people to visit the region throughout the year for its many events and festivals. The entity comprises members from government agencies, economic development organizations, and chambers of commerce from all six counties. Although no dedicated funding for the entity exists, the members work together to align on shared priorities and grant opportunities to advance its mission.

NECTR was paired with Dan Moore, CEO of Pandion Consulting & Facilitation, a travel industry consultancy with experience in tourism development, staff training, and business consulting, to develop a destination assessment, facilitate a full-day community visioning and action planning workshop, and provide 100 hours of free consulting to Logan County.

NECTR convened a core team of local tourism stakeholders to provide input throughout the design and delivery of the program. Three core team meetings were held to identify priority barriers and opportunities for advancing tourism, discuss the findings from the destination assessment, and guide workshop design.

Destination Assessment and Workshop Results 

NECTR supported the development of a destination assessment consisting of background research, a visitor profile study, a resident sentiment survey, a tourism stakeholder survey, and input from the core team. The findings from the assessment were compiled into a report that informed the design of the full-day workshop.

On December 1, 2022, NECTR convened 24 tourism stakeholders for a community visioning and action planning workshop at the CSU Northeast Regional Engagement Center in Sterling to review the destination assessment and align on priority actions for fostering long-term industry resilience. Workshop participants represented a wide range of tourism stakeholders, including elected officials, state agency representatives, and staff from local chambers of commerce, accommodations, attractions.

Workshop participants engaged in a small group activity to align on the future changes they would like to see implemented that benefit the tourism industry in NECTR. Overlapping themes from these discussions included diversifying visitor experiences related to agritourism and birding, increasing community support and understanding of tourism, and fostering collaboration across the six-county region.

As a result of the workshop discussions, participants aligned on key priorities and action items to inform the development of an action plan. Key priorities include:

• champion the value of tourism
• develop and enhance visitor experience
• foster regional collaboration

CRAFT Mentor Results

Following the workshop, 100 hours of consulting were provided to conduct the activities listed below. The purpose of this CRAFT Mentor Project was to advance strategies that foster a year-round regional tourism economy and identify strategies that build regional awareness of the value of tourism.

Project objectives included:

• conduct outreach with Colorado birding stakeholders and develop the production materials for an informational session that builds awareness of existing birding opportunities in Northeast Colorado and increases engagement and participation with regional tourism stakeholders to advance birding
• compile consumer content for NECTR that highlights birding opportunities within the six-county region
• provide recommendations for updating the organizational structure for NECTR
• develop an informational flyer with facts about the benefits of tourism to distribute to elected officials, residents, and business owners at town halls and events

NECTR achieved the following results through the Reimagine Destinations Mentor project:

• production materials for an informational session about birding in Northeast Colorado
• consumer content that educates visitors about birding in Northeast Colorado, including signature species, places to view birds, and safety tips
• recommendations to update NECTR’s organizational structure, including its leadership structure and the core functions of its committee members
• informational flyer about the value of tourism in Northeast Colorado that can be shared with elected officials, residents, and business owners at local town halls and events

About Reimagine Destinations Program

The Reimagine Destinations Program supports Colorado tourism destinations to foster long-term industry resilience. Awarded destinations receive a destination assessment, a full-day workshop, 100 hours of consulting, and a $20,000 creative asset production shoot from the Colorado Tourism Office. This program was made possible by a CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.