Cultural and heritage tourism can help drive Colorado’s economy, especially in rural areas.
That’s what state officials told the Colorado General Assembly’s Interim Committee on Economic Development on Friday.
“Cultural tourism needs to be recognized as a large player in the tourism industry,” said Deborah Jordy, executive director of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
Roughly 11.3 million people attended cultural events in metro Denver in 2003, generating $1.3 billion in economic activity, according to a survey by the organization.
Jordy recommended that the state develop a strategic plan to promote arts and culture as economic drivers and restore funding for the Colorado Council on the Arts, whose funding has declined by more than $1 million in the past four years.
The state’s new heritage tourism plan will focus on marketing historic sites throughout the state, representatives from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade told the committee. Many will be developed in rural areas using preservation grants.
“There are a lot of rural communities that have great historic sites, but they aren’t seeing any economic benefit from them,” said Scott Campbell, program manager for heritage tourism.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
