The benefits of tourism in Colorado are clear.
Prior to the pandemic, Colorado travelers spent as much as $24.2 billion in visitor spending and generated $1.49 billion in local and state revenues in 2019, which translated into a direct tax savings of $707 for each Colorado household. Tourism is also one of Colorado’s largest employers with travel spending directly impacting 187,200 jobs in 2019.
We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic delivered a massive blow to our industry. In 2020, direct visitor spending plummeted to $15.4 billion, down 36.3% from 2019, and more than 38,200 jobs were lost. The way that tourism destinations and businesses adapted to safely welcome guests to Colorado was inspiring and a testament to the resilience of Coloradans. Still, we know the work to fully recover isn’t done yet.
Denver is forecast in 2022 to finish 31% below 2019 levels with meetings, conventions and business travel still down significantly. International travel, our highest value…