Tourism

where wander meets wonder

From the prairies of eastern Colorado to the high peaks along the Continental Divide, to the red rock canyons of the Western Slope and thriving urban centers, Colorado provides a diverse landscape and vast array of experiences for travelers.

Tourism is one of the strongest economic drivers of Colorado, providing a valuable source of revenue and jobs. In 2016, 82.4 million visitors spent a total of $19.7 billion here, generating $1.2 billion in state and local taxes — an all-time high for the state.

With 1.7 percent of the U.S. population, Colorado has 7.7 percent of the nation’s tourism jobs. The hospitality industry was Colorado’s second-largest employer in 2016, with travel spending generating more than 165,000 jobs and earnings of $5.8 billion.  And tourism is expected to generate more Colorado jobs (12,100) in 2017 than any other industry, including education/health services and construction.

On March 15, 2017, the Colorado Tourism Board unanimously adopted the Colorado Tourism Roadmap, a comprehensive strategic plan to build the Colorado tourism industry’s competitive advantage through closer collaboration, creation of new traveler experiences across the state and a fresh focus on sustainable tourism. The Roadmap also created The Colorado Tourism Office’s mission: to drive traveler spending through promotion and development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences throughout our four-corner state.

Download Industry Profile

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Logo Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (303) 892-3840 gbd.info@state.co.us
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Logo Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (303) 892-3840 gbd.info@state.co.us
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Logo Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (303) 892-3840 gbd.info@state.co.us
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Logo Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (303) 892-3840 gbd.info@state.co.us

Key Facts & Figures

#1

in the nation for overnight ski trips

165,000

tourism jobs

TOP

performing state tourism campaign

1st

state partnership with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics

ONLY

state with a dedicated fund supporting the promotion and development of agritourism

Top 25

Best Places to Visit, Denver and Vail (Forbes 2020)