CO Tourism Destination Development
CRAFT Studio 101: Round One Communities Selected
The CTO is pleased to announce that the City of La Junta and Moffat County have been selected to participate in Round One of the FY19 CRAFT Studio 101 Program. The CTO will begin work with these communities in August and complete the program by December 2018. CRAFT Studio 101 provides broad, comprehensive tourism education and training for rural communities or regions on how to build tourism into an economic development strategy. After successful completion of the program, both La Junta and Moffat County will be eligible to apply for $10,000 in implementation funding to advance a priority determined during the program. Learn more about CRAFT Studio 101 >>
CRAFT Studio 201 Communities Selected
Greater Greeley/Weld County and the City of Delta have been selected as the FY19 recipients of CRAFT Studio 201. Each community will receive customized support to advance a specific tourism-related goal or strategy. Work will begin with both communities at the end of July and continue until spring 2019. After successful completion of the program, both the City of Delta and Greater Greeley/Weld County will be eligible to apply for $7,500 in implementation funding to advance a priority determined during the program. Learn more about CRAFT Studio 201 >>
Now Accepting Applications for the Project & Technical Assistance Grant Program
The CTO has created a new grants program that provides funding for projects that target the development of tourism, such as technical consulting and market research. Grants up to $15,000 will be awarded. Online applications close January 2, 2019. Learn more about the grant program >>
CRAFT Workshops Launch
CRAFT Workshops provide intensive training and support for communities wishing to advance a tourism-related strategy for a specific industry segment. The first CRAFT Workshop was held in Ouray in June on the topic of sustainable tourism. Ouray is now eligible to apply for up to $2,500 in funding to implement a priority determined during the workshop. Applications are currently open for FY19 CRAFT Workshops and will be considered on an ongoing basis through April 1, 2019. Learn more about the CRAFT Workshops >>
Destination Development Receives State Historical Fund Grant
CTO has been awarded a $141,293 grant from the State Historical Fund to develop a designated Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways micro-website as a way to generate greater awareness of the historic and cultural experiences along the state’s 26 designated byways. The micro-website will be housed on Colorado.com and include expanded content, such as articles, videos, photos, itineraries and interactive maps. The long-term goal of the project is to increase the visibility and viability of each of the 26 byways while offering travelers the opportunity to explore stories that unite communities with their collective past and highlight the unique places that engage visitor curiosity.