Santa Fe Trail Scenic & Historic Byway (SFTSHB) was approved to participate in the Restart Industry Associations Program by the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) in September 2021.
The purpose of the SFTSHB is to preserve historic sites and resources of the trail for future generations. The byway is managed and overseen by the Canyons and Plains Regional Heritage Taskforce, which focuses on increasing recognition and appreciation of the multi-cultural heritage in its communities within the corridor. Tasks include upgrading and improving maintenance of developed sites and facilities, developing sites which are currently not accessible or do not have visitor services, and increasing visitation.
SFTSHB was paired with Sarah-Jane Johnson, a CRAFT Mentor from the Tourism Consulting Collaborative, with experience in rural destination development, tourism marketing and communications, and stakeholder engagement, to deliver 75 hours of free consulting to conduct the activities listed below.
The purpose of this project was to support the SFTSHB to identify a series of strategic goals, and to support the upcoming update to the byway’s Corridor Management Plan (CMP). Updates to the CMP include a new sectional framework with a focus on a signage inventory and tourism marketing content.
Project objectives included:
- deliver strategic planning tools and work sessions to identify short, mid, and long term goals
- review the SFTSHB CMP and identify update opportunities that includes tourism marketing content
- develop a roadway signage inventory system
SFTSHB achieved the following results with its Restart Industry Associations Mentor:
- strategic planning work sessions with the SFTSHB core team to identify short, mid, and long term goals and objectives
- creation of goals and objectives for the SFTSHB CMP
- CMP marketing framework that includes economic impact and visitor profile data which can be further developed throughout the CMP update project
- signage inventory toolkit that includes a signage inventory, project work plan, and implementation instructions
About Restart Industry Associations Program
The Restart Industry Associations Program supports Colorado tourism industry associations to drive faster recovery as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Awarded industry associations receive 75 hours of free consulting and $10,000 in direct marketing support from the Colorado Tourism Office. This program was made possible by a CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.