Colorado Springs Celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week

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Colorado Springs, Colo. - May 8, 2018 - In celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week, Colorado Springs is taking part in a statewide promotion organized by the Colorado Tourism Office to extend a warm welcome to the thousands of international tourism professionals who will be converging in Denver May 19-23 for the U.S. Travel Association’s annual trade show, International Pow Wow.

Nearly 6,000 travel professionals from more than 70 countries will participate in IPW. The trade show is expected to generate more than $1.1 billion in new traveler spending and bring one million new travelers to Denver and Colorado in the next three years. Joining destinations across Colorado, the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, Windstar Studios, Garden of the Gods Collection and Olympic City USA staged a video showcasing a big “hello” from Olympic and Paralympic athletes Erin Storie and Allysa Seely. For a link to the video please visit www.facebook.com/VisitCOS/videos/10155476071595222/.

The CTO encouraged tourism partners across the state to get creative and share a photo or video that showcased what was most special about their destination while sending a big hello to the world. The photos and videos will be shared through National Travel and Tourism Week (Sunday, May 6 through Saturday, May 12) on the CTO’s industry Facebook page, the Colorado Tourism Industry Buzz. The images and videos also will be shared on the CTO’s Visit Colorado Facebook page and on social channels for both the U.S. Travel Association and Brand USA.

“Travel supports more than 17,000 jobs right here in Colorado Springs,” said Doug Price, President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This week, we are celebrating what travel means to our community. We’re calling on everyone -- from elected officials to residents – to join us in saluting this important industry.”

National Travel and Tourism Week unites communities across the country to celebrate what travel contributes to American jobs, economic growth and personal well-being. Across Colorado, travel employs a prosperous and diverse workforce, from airline and hotel employees to restaurant, attraction and retail workers, and supports related sectors such as construction, manufacturing and finance.

Some of the numbers:

• 165,000 jobs are supported by travel and tourism in Colorado, 17,000 here in the Pikes Peak region.
• The travel industry generates $1.2 billion in local and state tax revenues, saving the average Pikes Peak region family of four $835 in annual taxes.
• In 2016, Colorado welcomed 82.4 million visitors who spent $19.7 billion. The Pikes Peak region welcomed 23 million travelers in 2016.

To learn more about how tourism pays here in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region go to VisitCOS.com/TourismPays. To learn more about Colorado, visit Colorado.com