Colorado Tourism Office Gives $710,461 in grants to 22 Colorado Organizations

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) announced today that its Matching Marketing Grants program has awarded more than $710,000 in grants to 22 Colorado organizations to aid in their marketing efforts. 

This grant program, established in 2001, awards funding to eligible applicants for projects that promote Colorado as a tourism destination, supporting the Colorado Tourism Office’s (CTO) mission to “drive traveler spending through promotion and development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences throughout our four-corner state.” These grants may also be used for marketing projects that support better destination management such as educating visitors on how to recreate responsibly.

In response to the pandemic, the CTO made several changes to the grant program for fiscal year 2022 to include: 

  • Increased the amount of funding available for grant awards to over $700,000 (more than what has ever been allocated for the program; in FY 2021, we awarded $392,250 to 19 recipients) 
  • The maximum grant award amount has been raised to $40,000 from $25,000 
  • The required match has been lowered by 50% and is now a 2:1 match versus a 1:1 match in previous years. For example, if you request a grant of $40,000, you need to have at least $20,000 in other funding. 

Projects that are funded by this grant will begin work in January 2022 and will target future economic development and recovery for the tourism industry throughout the year and beyond.

“Our Matching Marketing Grant program has always been important to the marketing of greater Colorado and never has this been more true,” said Tim Wolfe, Director of the CTO. “We are honored to be able to provide larger grants with a lowered 2:1 match to help our Colorado tourism industry partners in their recovery. The projects and programs receiving grants are great examples of the important work being done to support Colorado’s tourism industry. We look forward to seeing the results.”

The 22 organizations that were awarded a grant are listed in the table below.

 

Matching Marketing Grant Recipients

Organization Award Amount Description of project
Arkansas River Outfitters Association $12,000 Strategic earned media campaign positioning whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River as a premier summer recreation experience
Clear Creek County Tourism Bureau $40,000 Develop a new long-term marketing and management roadmap
Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association $40,000 Improve the effectiveness of existing assets and reach new visitors
Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau $40,000 Create a new destination video and strategically infuse the content with people that make the videos diverse and inclusive. 
Creede-Minteral County Chamber of Commerce $19,384 Create a Creede, CO Field Guide: The Last Great Place
Custer County Tourism Board $40,000 Colorado Stargazing - public relations and marketing support
Fremont County Tourism Council $36,666 Royal Gorge Region - Strategic Shoulder Season Shift
Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges $28,000 Marketing Campaign around Sandhill Cranes migration and the San Luis Valley
Grand County Colorado Tourism Board $33,000 Data acquisition and engagement campaign
Gunnison Crested Butte Tourism Association $40,000 "Community Built", will promote stewardship and responsible tourism through a series of videos, content, and resources for visitors.
Hinsdale County $9,601 New Marketing Content for Lake City/Hinsdale County
History Colorado $26,930 Marketing campaign targeting motorcoach tour operators
Huerfano County $40,000 Thinking Outside the Box: Murals, Influencers and Responsible Tourism in Spanish Peaks Country
Lake County $40,000 Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit
Longmont Area Visitors Association $40,000 "Visit Longmont, Colorado's Best Kept Secret"
Marketing Telluride $40,000 Visitor Targeted Sustainability Campaign
Meeker Chamber of Commerce $7,680 OHV Trail riding in Rio Blanco County: Marketing Materials to promote and inform visitors about responsible OHV Trail riding in Rio Blanco County”
Steamboat Chamber of Commerce $40,000 Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop Branding Expansion
Steamboat Chamber of Commerce $30,000 "Visit Responsibly Video Campaign"
Vail Valley Partnership $27,200 Visit Vail Valley “Cast a Wider Net” campaign aimed to encourage visitation across the entire Eagle River Valley region
Visit Estes Park $40,000
 
Estes Park PSAs: Educating Guests to Experience Estes Park Sustainably
Visit Fort Collins $40,000 Basecamp Fort Collins: a Northern Colorado Cycling Adventure Guide


To learn more about the Colorado Tourism Office Matching Marketing Grant program, visit the OEDIT website

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