CTO Partner Resource Guide
CTO Partner Resource Guide
The Partner Resource Guide helps you fully leverage the resources of the Colorado Tourism Office and maximize your exposure to visitors. By working together, we can build the strength of our industry and attract travelers who share our values and will help our state thrive.
The guide is organized in five phases:
- Get Started: Start your involvement with the Colorado Tourism Office with these opportunities.
- Reach Higher: Dive deeper into our programs and opportunities, start getting funding, and diversify your marketing strategies.
- Think Bigger: Take your presence to a national level and learn about leadership opportunities.
- See Further: Start your international presence and learn lead-growth strategies.
- Maximize: Establish and maximize your international growth opportunities.
Check out oedit.colorado.gov/tourism
At oedit.colorado.gov/tourism, find the Colorado Tourism Office's key initiatives, board and team member information, research and report statistics, industry toolkits and program information. This is your first stop for information about our programs, upcoming events and meetings, and grants.
Travel resources
Colorado is promoted to travelers through domestic and international marketing, public relations, social media, the Explore Colorado Official Travel Guide, and Colorado.com—one of the most visited state tourism websites in the country. The Colorado Tourism Office also provides traveler services at Colorado Welcome Centers and through 1-800-COLORADO.
Sign up for industry newsletters and communications
Stay up-to-date on our news, events, initiatives and ways to get involved through our weekly Tourism Tuesday email newsletter. The CTO also produces a monthly newsletter, The Hot Sheet, to help partners keep current on public relations activities such as media opportunities, recent highlights, requests for information and more.
Follow the Colorado Tourism Office on LinkedIn
Follow our LinkedIn page to stay up to the minute on happenings and insights about Colorado tourism.
Contact the Colorado Tourism Office
Are you a new business, attraction, or destination management organization representative? Introduce yourself and connect to our Communications Manager, Marketing Manager & Senior Manager of Industry Partnerships and Education at partner.inquiries@colorado.com. One of these representatives can answer questions and facilitate connections with relevant resources.
Reach out to your local chamber, CVB, or DMO
Familiarizing yourself with your local chamber, convention, and visitors bureau (CVB) or destination marketing organization (DMO) will help you gain additional insight into how they support and promote travel in your area and how you can work with them. Check out our full list of partners.
Create free business or event listings on Colorado.com
Any tourism-related business or organization in Colorado can sign up for free listings on Colorado.com. To submit a listing for a business, special offer or event, you must first create an account. Please reference the business listing rules page for guidelines and listing specifications.
Attend the annual Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference
The annual Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference, presented by the Colorado Tourism Office, is the premier education and networking event for members of the Colorado travel industry. It offers an ideal environment for tourism experts and industry leaders to build upon past successes and discuss future directions. Scholarships are available.
Distribute brochures at Colorado Welcome Centers
Our Welcome Centers greet more than 800,000 visitors annually. Colorado destinations and attractions may submit brochures and other collateral for distribution free of charge to Colorado visitors. All materials must comply with Colorado Tourism Office guidelines.
Join the Colorado Association of Destination Marketing Organizations
Colorado Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (CADMO) is a nonprofit organized to enhance and support the destination marketing organization industry in Colorado. Its membership includes about 40+destination management organizations (DMOs).
Email CADMO Chair Cynthia Eichler to learn more.
Participate in CTO Learning Labs
CTO Learning Labs is our free online educational platform designed for students, destination management and marketing organizations (DMOs), hospitality staff, and tourism industry professionals. The platform helps learners at every level sharpen their skills and deepen their Colorado expertise so visitors feel welcomed, cared for, and inspired to return. These self paced courses cover subjects from Championing the Value of Tourism, Do Colorado Right, custom courses for destinations across Colorado and more. Explore the free educational resource here.
Connect with the CTO Destination Development team
Our Destination Development team works directly with Destination Marketing Organizations and tourism industry associations to develop and promote visitor experiences that align with their competitive advantage as a destination and help protect their unique sense of place. Application based programs and resources are available throughout the year. Please review the Destination Development Program page for more information: https://oedit.colorado.gov/destination-development-program.
Apply for a Scholarship to Gov Con
The CTO provides funding for individuals with a dedication to Colorado tourism to attend the Governor's Tourism Conference. The scholarship includes conference registration and hotel. All other expenses and transport are the scholarship recipient's responsibility.
Apply for the Student Sponsorship and the Professional Scholarship.
Familiarize yourself with tourism data and research
The Colorado Tourism Office conducts annual research in partnership with industry-leading research firms. In the annual Dean Runyan Associates report, you can find the latest economic impact data for traveler spending, including county-by-county breakdowns for jobs, business earnings, and local and state tax generation. For a more detailed look, review Dean Runyan's Colorado county-specific dashboard. The Longwoods International annual report shares deep insight into the travelers who came to Colorado during the prior year.
Utilize Colorado Tourism Office toolkits
Learn how to take part in CTO initiatives or access free marketing tips, crisis communication guides, and more through our industry toolkits. New toolkits are added periodically, so check back frequently.
Apply to participate in Destination Development Programs
Destination Blueprint seeks to serve as the extended strategy and implementation team for Colorado destination marketing/management organizations (DMOs) through Destination Blueprint. The Colorado Tourism Office team builds on opportunities and lessons learned from other destinations along with the unique character of each participating destination. Program outcomes include increased alignment between local tourism stakeholders, and completion of one or more priority tourism projects.
Destination Development Mentor Program seeks to match destination marketing organizations and tourism industry association partners with experienced consultants to provide expertise, resources, mentorship, and capacity building. The program provides an opportunity for participants to join the Colorado Tourism Office in its effort to advance destination stewardship.
Colorado State Park Dark Sky Certification Mentor Program: The CTO, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Dark Sky Colorado have partnered together to help state parks achieve International Dark Sky Place certification and enhance visitor experience.
Join the Care for Colorado Coalition
The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and Leave No Trace founded the Care for Colorado Coalition in 2020. This alliance of state/federal agencies, local governments, non profit organizations, destinations and outdoor recreation and tourism businesses is dedicated to protecting Colorado’s environmental and cultural resources by inspiring responsible travel and empowering visitors and residents to be active stewards of our communities and outdoor spaces. Please visit the Care for Colorado Coalition webpage to learn more and join the Coalition.
Submit a nomination for the Governor's Awards for Outstanding Tourism Efforts
The Governor’s Awards for Outstanding Colorado Tourism Efforts honor individuals and organizations and recognizes excellence in the Colorado tourism industry. Awards are presented at the Colorado Governor's Tourism Conference each fall during an awards ceremony. Nominations open in the Spring of each year.
Participate in our marketing and social co-ops
Through our vendor relationships, the Colorado Tourism Office offers co-op marketing opportunities for paid media and social media. A co-op is a co-branded program that promotes your destination as well as the state of Colorado. Financial support is contributed by both parties, which amplifies your marketing dollars and reach. Learn more about the Paid Social Media Co-op and the Paid Media Co-op.
Apply for the Tourism Management Grant
The Colorado Tourism Office Tourism Management Grant provides funding for tourism-related projects that develop, enhance, or manage visitor experience in Colorado. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and statewide tourism industry associations are eligible for these grant dollars.
Add the Colorado Tourism Office public relations team to your distribution lists
The Colorado Tourism Office public relations team proactively pitches stories about travel trends and news from across the state and appreciates industry partners sending unique story angles, press releases, and news on a regular basis. Email our communications team to get in touch today.
Share content with the Colorado Tourism Office for social media use
With a combined following of over a million users across its social channels, the Colorado Tourism Office can help spread your message to future visitors. Send photos, news stories, or articles to our social media team for consideration.
Utilize Colorado Tourism Office marketing and advertising opportunities
Advertise to a highly qualified group of Colorado travelers by sharing your message on Colorado Tourism Office-owned channels, including Colorado.com, Colorado e-newsletters, and in publications such as our Explore Colorado Official Travel Guide.
Visit our media kit to see a comprehensive view of all of our advertising opportunities.
Get involved with travel national associations
By becoming a member of national travel associations, you will gain a greater knowledge of the tourism industry as a whole and will keep your business or community competitive. These associations actively monitor domestic and international industry trends as well as political issues to keep you informed. Consider these to start:
Attend domestic trade shows through Tour Colorado and Destination Colorado
Tour Colorado promotes group tours and packaged travel within and throughout Colorado by being the primary liaison between the suppliers of tour products and professional tour operators looking to purchase these products. To learn more about Tour Colorado, please contact Julianne Krogseng at tourcolorado@gmail.com.
Destination Colorado is a non-profit organization designed to provide resources and information for meeting and event planners. Among the more than 130 members, you’ll discover the solutions to every planning challenge. To learn more about Destination Colorado, please Contact Kelly Layton at kelly@destinationcolorado.com.
Though both are membership organizations, each receives sponsorship funding from the Colorado Tourism Office and is charged with representing the entire state of Colorado. However, membership allows for participation in trade shows and other events.
Apply for the Colorado Tourism Leadership Journey
The Colorado Tourism Leadership Journey is a one of a kind program aimed at professionals who are seeking to grow their tourism leadership skills. This tuition-based, year-long program, creates an opportunity to strengthen leadership skills not only for the benefit of the participants, but also for their employers and communities. By equipping tourism leaders and emerging professionals with skills to inspire others, create change and overcome challenges, we are building a competitive edge for a key Colorado industry. Limited scholarships for tuition, travel reimbursement or child care stipends are available based on need. Applications for the program launch in mid-April every other year.
CTO Accessible Travel Program
The Accessible Travel Program, a program in partnership with Wheel The World, aims to amplify accessible spaces in destinations across Colorado. This innovative program aligns with the CTO Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan, demonstrating Colorado’s commitment to providing welcoming, inclusive and accessible experiences for everyone. This program is open to destination marketing organizations and program elements include stakeholder engagement, Wheel the World accessibility site mapping, and marketing and training for participating partners.
Colorado Tourism Climate Champions Program
The Colorado Tourism Climate Champions Program, a pilot program in partnership with the Travel Foundation aims to provide education and expertise to Colorado destination organizations seeking guidance on climate action planning for the tourism industry.
In alignment with the CTO's Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan, the Colorado Tourism Climate Champions Program emphasizes the critical role the tourism industry plays in climate action planning and resiliency. Destination organizations will receive the essential tools, education, and expertise to develop and implement climate action strategies tailored to their destination.
Apply for Tourism Marketing Grant
The Colorado Tourism Office Tourism Marketing Grant helps support tourism marketing campaigns and initiatives. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) throughout the state are eligible for these grant dollars, as well as statewide tourism industry associations.
Host a media or public relations familiarization (FAM) tour
The Colorado Tourism Office public relations team pitches and hosts about 40-50 journalists each year to experience Colorado offerings firsthand. These journalists are usually on story assignments or have strong story prospects. While the Colorado Tourism Office typically covers transportation costs for these journalists, we rely heavily on industry partners to assist with itinerary planning, meals, lodging and activities. The reward is story coverage in top national publications. Learn more about Tourism Public Relations Promotion opportunities.
Content creation
Create engaging content for your brand by sponsoring articles and videos on Colorado.com. Learn more about Colorado.com Marketing Promotion opportunities.
Participate in a media reception
The Colorado Tourism Office hosts media receptions each year to gather industry partners and local journalists to discuss the state’s latest news and story angles. Each reception is attended by about 20 industry partners and over 30 Colorado journalists and is a great networking opportunity. Connect with our team today to attend our next reception by emailing media@colorado.com.
Attend a national industry conference
Get exposure to national experts at a top industry conference. The U.S. Travel Association’s Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) is the annual conference for state and local destinations. Destinations International represents hundreds of city and regional destinations across the US, and holds a multi-day annual educational conference.
While these conferences can be a financial investment, they provide valuable information and connections with your industry peers.
Grow your opt-in email list with the Welcome Leads program
Colorado.com visitors who request our Explore Colorado Official Travel Guide or other marketing materials are directed to a confirmation page where they can elect to receive more information from your business or destination. Once they opt-in, your organization collects their email addresses for use in your own marketing efforts.
Learn more about the Welcome Leads program.
Build your lodging inventory for international travelers
Receptive tour operators are domestic wholesalers of local tourism products who create Colorado packages, which they market to tour operators worldwide. These operators play a major role in getting your destination into tour itineraries globally, which expands your reach and audience considerably.
Please contact our international team to learn more.
Host an international familiarization tour (FAM)
One of the best and least expensive ways of being involved with international tourism is hosting international media and travel trade on a familiarization tour (FAM). Please contact our international team to learn more.
Translate your promotional materials into other languages
The Colorado Tourism Office's international representatives can translate your marketing pieces at a discounted rate. Please contact our international team to learn more.
Consider US-based international trade shows
Attend a US-based international trade show. These include the Go West Summit, Connect Marketplace, or North American Journey’s Receptive Tour Operator Marketplace. Please contact our international team to learn more.
Get involved with Brand USA partnerships
We provide a variety of co-op opportunities through Brand USA (the USA's Destination Marketing Organization) for partners around the state. Learn more about the Brand USA Marketing Program.
Get involved with international co-ops
We provide a variety of international co-op opportunities with major tour operators through our international representatives. Offerings change annually, please contact our international team to learn more.
Join the Colorado Tourism Office’s booth at IPW
IPW, the USA’s largest international travel trade show, is hosted by the U.S. Travel Association. IPW takes place each year in May or June and brings together 1,300 international tour operators, 600 international journalists, and more than 3,000 U.S. suppliers to transact billions of dollars of business in a meeting format. The US location changes from year to year.
Join an International Sales Mission with the Colorado Tourism Office
The Colorado Tourism Office hosts sales and media missions in target international markets. Opportunities vary year-to-year and participation is limited. Please contact the international team to learn more.