The Colorado Tourism Office Celebrates the “Power of Travel” During National Travel & Tourism Week, May 2-8

DENVER, Colo. (April 30, 2021) — National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) will take place May 2-8, 2021 and is the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry. This year’s event will spotlight the critical role that travel will play in driving economic recovery efforts and building the path forward through the theme “Power of Travel.” The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is celebrating NTTW and the promising return of summer travel by honoring outstanding frontline tourism workers, rolling out a new Colorado Concierge recognition program, launching a new summer campaign and promoting exciting new travel offerings.

The CTO will present the Top Frontline Tourism Worker Award to ten deserving industry workers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty during an extremely challenging year for the industry. Each winner will receive an award during a CTO NTTW webinar to take place from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4. This year’s award winners are shining examples of the creative and innovative ways that the tourism industry pivoted over the past year to welcome guests while providing safe travel experiences.

“Tourism industry employees rose to the challenge during this difficult year and with more people receiving their vaccinations, we look forward to welcoming back visitors and bolstering our tourism economy while also balancing public health,” said Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis. “National Travel and Tourism Week is an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of the incredible contributions of the travel industry not just to our local economy and workforce, but also to our state’s identity and culture.”

During NTTW, the CTO will also launch a new Colorado Concierge recognition program where businesses can apply to become Colorado Concierge Gold or Silver Certified and are encouraged to take the "Be a Colorado Concierge" Challenge in May. Colorado Concierge is the CTO’s free, customized hospitality online training program to build Colorado expertise and share Colorado-style welcoming and inclusive hospitality.

In 2019, Colorado travelers directly spent $24.2 billion, generating $1.49 billion in local and state revenues. Replacing those revenues would have cost each Colorado household $707 in additional taxes. Since January 2020, Colorado has lost $9.7 billion in travel spending, down 30 percent year-over-year. Tourism is the state’s second-largest employer, but some of the largest private-sector job losses have been in leisure and hospitality during the pandemic.

“NTTW takes on a special significance this year as the travel industry looks to rebound quickly from the pandemic and accelerate recovery efforts,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “The past year was incredibly challenging, but we saw the full power of the travel industry on display in the way we united and supported one another through this crisis.”

Colorado continues to take a thoughtful and responsible path to reopening the economy, and while there are still many unknowns, the CTO is optimistic for the summer travel season ahead with the launch of a new summer campaign that will highlight ‘Wow’ Colorado moments from across the state aimed at inspiring out-of-state visitors. The CTO is also working hard to educate travelers about the importance of respecting the areas they are visiting by embracing the Care for Colorado Principles.

This summer, visitors to Colorado can expect to be wowed with exciting new travel offerings such as Colorado’s famed Pikes Peak’s new Summit Visitor Center and the return of the world’s highest cog railroad. The much anticipated Palisade Plunge is set to be one of the longest singletrack downhill mountain bike trails in the U.S, and Arapahoe Basin will inaugurate the highest via Ferrata climbing route in North America. Colorado will commemorate the Bicentennial of the historic Santa Fe Trail throughout 2021, and Rocky Mountaineer luxury train will debut its new Colorado route this fall. The Colorado Rockies began welcoming guests back to the stadium this spring, just in time for the opening of the brand new Rally Hotel across from the ballpark, and Coors Field will play host to the MLB All-Star Game this July. The world-renowned Red Rocks Amphitheater celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2021 welcoming back an exciting summer concert line-up.

For more summer travel inspiration, visit Colorado.com.