Distribute a press release highlighting the value of tourism within your destination: 

• Use the Partner Press Release Template as a guide or create your own.
• Make sure your distribution list includes local media contacts, key industry partners and community stakeholders and leaders 
• Encourage your staff to post your press release to their LinkedIn pages to amplify the reach 
• Encourage your community partners to distribute their own press releases

Get social and get sharing

Your social channels are powerful tools for helping celebrate NTTW! Create a social media plan that offers a NTTW-focused post or content highlight each day during May 19-25.

Tag us in your social media posts:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/visitcolorado  
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/VisitColorado
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/Colorado
• TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@Visit_Colorado  

Use hashtags:

• #VisitColorado
• #NTTW24

Sample social media posts:

It’s National Travel and Tourism Week and we’re celebrating the industry’s critical role in powering economies, communities and connections. Together, let’s demonstrate our industry’s critical importance—in every corner of our country. #NTTW24

Travel is essential to every state and countless destinations across the nation, just like here in [INSERT DESTINATION]. Travel is an industry that powers our economy and connects our country. #NTTW24

This #NTTW24, let’s celebrate how the travel industry powers the economy, connects our people, creates quality job opportunities and supports our communities. Travel is invaluable to America’s success.

We’re celebrating #NTTW24 and what travel means to [INSERT DESTINATION] – from our communities to our jobs to our economy—travel touches and improves it all.

Happy National Travel and Tourism Week! The travel industry is pivotal to our economy, communities and in connecting America. #NTTW24

Join us May 19-25 in celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week and help highlight our industry’s undeniable impact! Travel matters to [INSERT DESTINATION/ ORGANIZATION]. #NTTW24

Social media images:

Follow this link to access U.S. Travel's images for these social media posts. 

Newsletter activation:

If you have a weekly or monthly newsletter, spread the news about NTTW through those channels and encourage your community to join in the celebration!

Don’t stop at communications and social media planning! There are additional ways to engage including celebrating your local community.

• Partner with local businesses within your community to offer special discounts to raise awareness for NTTW
• Incentivise participation by hosting a NTTW themed event, rally or contest
• Host a appreciation event for your travel workforce
• Share information about NTTW in community groups
• Issue a proclamation alongside a local official

National numbers 

• In 2022, direct travel spending in the United States totaled $1.2 trillion
• With an economic output of $2.6 trillion in 2022, travel serves as an essential catalyst for a productive U.S. economy and helps to fuel connection and innovation within other industries. 
• Eight million workers are directly employed within the travel industry in the United States
• Travel spending generated nearly $160 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022.
• Did you know: Each U.S. household would have paid an additional $1,270 if not for the tax revenue generated by travel in 2022.
• Domestic leisure travel spending in the United States reached $837 billion in 2022. While far above pre-pandemic levels in nominal terms, it has essentially recovered to 2019 levels when adjusted for inflation. 

Colorado numbers 

• Total tourism spend in 2022 finished at a record high of $27.7 billion a 25% increase from 2021.
• Direct travel-generated employment grew from 162,000 to 176,800, a gain of approximately 14,800 jobs
• Direct travel-generated earnings grew from $6.6 billion to $7.4 billion, a gain of approximately $800 million compared to 2020. 
• State and local tax revenue grew from a combined total of $1.5 billion in 2021 to $1.7 billion in 2022
• Colorado travelers spent $27.7 billion, generating $1.7 billion in local and state revenues, reducing the tax burden for every Colorado household by $760
• The top states of origin for overnight trips to Colorado in 2022, apart from Colorado itself, were California, Texas, Florida and New York.
• Domestic overnight trips increased to an estimated 38.4  million, up nearly 5.8% from 2021, but still not reaching 2019 numbers of 39 million.
• 82% of overnight travelers were repeat visitors in 2022.

Finding county tourism stats

Follow this link to access the 2022 Dean Runyan Report (Economic Impact)
Impact Data broken down by county can be found on page 42-58 with counties listed in alphabetical order

Follow this link to access the Dean Runyan County Specific Dashboard (Economic Impact)
Highlights Spending, Employment, Earnings and Tax Receipts by County
 
*Please note that the most recent annual reports the CTO has is for 2022. Dean Runyan and Longwoods 2023 reports are expected to be published in Summer 2024.

Follow this link to access CTO Research Page for more information and resources. 

Each year U.S. Travel provides a free toolkit to encourage tourism partners to get involved with NTTW and communicate the economic, social and community-wide benefits of travel. You'll find shareable assets such as logos, social media graphics, messaging guide and more.

Follow this link to start exploring the toolkit