Southern Colorado communities hope to increase tourism with new marketing grant

HUERFANO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) are distributing grants to communities across Colorado with one hope: boost tourism through marketing.

According to a release, Huerfano County is one of 16 recipients. The city of Trinidad, the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association are also included.

“We are beyond grateful for the CTO’s willingness to invest in our rural community again,” said Sarah Jardis, Huerfano County Tourism Board Chair, in a statement. “This grant will help us feature Huerfano, enticing visitors to explore and come experience something new.”

Huerfano County is receiving just shy of $30,000 to fund a film shoot to showcase the area's scenic highways, parks, and lodging opportunities.

"By increasing our matching support, we’re helping our partners create more impactful and sustainable marketing campaigns that benefit not only our tourism economy but also the well-being of our residents and natural resources," said Colorado Tourism Office Director Timothy Wolfe in a release. 

Here's a look at the full list of grants, according to the OEDIT:

• City of Ouray ($20,000): to build awareness of Ouray as a winter destination through an expanded winter marketing campaign. 
• City of Trinidad ($40,000): to support a tourism website redesign for Trinidad to include updated content, improved website navigation and expanded visitor experiences. 
• Colorado Cross Country Ski Association ($49,300): to develop and promote a mobile app that will serve as a digital visitor hub, enhancing the visitor experience and encouraging exploration of Colorado's Nordic centers. 
• Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau ($40,000): to support a multimedia marketing campaign highlighting neighborhoods and towns across the Pikes Peak Region to increase awareness of lesser-known locales and showcase year-round adventure. 
• Fort Collins Conventions & Visitors Bureau ($50,000): to implement a Sounds of Fort Collins campaign to promote the city's rich musical heritage, which will include the development of a comprehensive music marketing strategy, a new music-focused microsite, video content featuring live performances and interviews with local musicians, and targeted promotions for music festivals. 
• Fremont County Tourism Council ($40,000): to grow an influencer program with the aim to increase Fremont County Tourism Council profile visits, engagement, link clicks and more. This investment will compliment existing organic social and paid advertising efforts. 
• Huerfano County ($29,985): to fund a comprehensive three-day film shoot designed to showcase key points of interest, including the Scenic Highway of Legends, Cuchara Mountain Park, and partnerships with local lodging providers. The video and audio assets will be utilized for future marketing campaigns. 
• Lake County - Opera 403 ($38,000): to expand awareness of the Colorado Historic Opera House Circuit and support cultural and heritage tourism in local communities.
• Lake County - Trails 132 ($10,240): to help Colorado residents and visitors navigate the year-round recreation opportunities that Lake County has to offer and do so responsibly. 
• Marketing Telluride, Inc. ($50,000): to assist in an international digital marketing campaign that promotes Telluride tourism to the Mexican market. 
• Meeker Chamber Of Commerce ($15,000): to update and increase their printed educational materials as part of their Conversation Starter Campaign which is phase one of their marketing strategy. Many organizations in the region rely on these materials to distribute valuable information to visitors. 
• Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board ($50,000): to elevate Pagosa Springs and Alamosa as desirable international travel destinations to audiences in the UK and Germany. 
• Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association ($50,000): to fully refresh their website by updating the user interface and the overall architecture and development processes. This includes adding Spanish translation and improving website accessibility. 
• Prowers County Lodging Tax Panel ($40,000): to produce a GPS-enabled audio tour highlighting 10 significant locations in Prowers County including the towns of Holly, Granada, and Lamar.
• Ridgway Area Chamber Of Commerce ($20,000): to support a targeted marketing initiative aimed at revitalizing the Ridgway business district, home to both a historic and creative sector. 
• Town Of Frisco ($50,000): to execute a strategic and integrated public relations campaign centered on developing brand awareness locally, regionally and nationally of the Town of Frisco as a distinct mountain destination.