Dear residents of Colorado plotting your summertime escapes, Gov. Bill Ritter would like you to take a look around for a moment.
What better place to get away to than the place you already are?
“This year, Colorado tourism starts right here at home,” Ritter pitched Monday to a crowd of state travel boosters, including Rocky, the Denver Nuggets’ mascot, and a guy holding a live falcon on his arm. “The time has never been better for Coloradans to get out and discover all the great attractions and experiences Colorado offers.”
It’s all part of the state’s effort to keep tourism dollars, vital to leisure-dependent mountain communities, from drying up due to the recession. In 2007, Colorado drew more than 28 million overnight visitors who dropped about $9.8 billion. Kim McNulty, director of the Colorado Tourism Office, said 2008 numbers are still being calculated.
To give some oomph to the effort, Ritter has proclaimed May “Rediscover Colorado Month.”
The state has also launched a website — — for bargain-seekers looking to plan a budget-conscious Colorado staycation.
On Monday the site featured a number of packages for lodging and recreational activities
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