Visit Denver has forged a summer tourism ad campaign that pitches the Mile High City as “two vacations in one.”
The $2 million campaign, officially launched Tuesday, will pepper national and regional television, magazines, newspapers, billboards and the Internet with ads luring visitors. The ads — with taglines such as “Ride Through Town or High Above It” and “From Trailhead to Curtain Call” — highlight Denver’s urban energy as well as its proximity to Rocky Mountain adventures. They point to Denver’s collection of museums, sports venues, restaurants and cultural offerings as well as nearby spots such as Garden of the Gods, Rocky Mountain National Park and St. Mary’s Glacier.
The ads will stretch into national magazines such as Food & Wine with regional ads focusing on Colorado’s traditional markets in neighboring states and such cities as Phoenix, Dallas and Kansas City.
The “Summer of Adventure” campaign also features a new website — — that offers more than 100 urban and day- tripping options for vacation planning.
Rich Grant with Visit Denver called the summer tourism campaign “the largest, most involved consumer tourism ad campaign in the city’s history.”
The $2 million trumpeting of Denver as the urban base camp for mountain adventures bodes well for city coffers. Visit Denver research from last year shows that every dollar invested in tourism advertising generates $79 in visitor spending and $6 in local tax revenue. The push is good for area restaurants as well.
“The idea is to be out in the marketplace so when people are making their decisions on where to go, we are one of the obvious choices, and we aren’t really without our own marketing,” said Pete Meersman, spokesman for the Colorado Restaurant Association. “Everyone knows we have the mountains, so if we can keep Denver out in front of people looking for that mountain experience, we are generally going to be pretty high on their list.”
Jason Blevins: 303-954-1374 or jblevins@denverpost.com
