Packaged Travel

Welcome to Tour Colorado

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HISTORY

Tour Colorado (formerly the Colorado Group Tour Association) is an organization, which originated from the Colorado Tourism Board (CTB) in 1988. There were approximately 10 members from across the state that met on a monthly basis to sponsor familiarization (FAM) tours and the annual tour operator reception at the National Tour Association (NTA) business exchange and conference.

Tour Colorado is the only statewide organization marketing directly to professional tour operators and group tour leaders domestically to increase the packaged travel market to Colorado. Since 1992, Tour Colorado has continued to meet with 100+ statewide members. All segments of the tourism industry are involved in promoting tourism and travel throughout the state of Colorado. The membership represents lodging accommodations, tour operators, transportation, attractions, restaurants, chambers and resorts, convention and visitors bureaus, and guide services.

VISION

The mission of Tour Colorado is to promote group tours and packaged travel within and through the State of Colorado by becoming the primary liaison between the suppliers of tour products, and professional tour operators looking to purchase these products.

GOALS

  • Serve as a "Point of Contact" for the professional tours operators and members statewide.
  • Conduct Familiarization (FAM) tours annually to promote the entire state.
  • Attend annual marketplaces for the National Tour Association (NTA), the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) and the American Bus Association (ABA) to promote the State of Colorado to professional tour operators.
  • Enhance and maintain www.tourcolorado.com. The website promotes members statewide and provides information to tour operators and group leaders.
  • Serve as an educational forum for new members to learn about the group tour industry.
  • Provide an avenue for statewide networking and marketing.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TOURISM

  • American and Canadian travelers spent about $186 billion for overnight travel to destinations worldwide in 2000.
  • Over half ($105 billion) was spent on trips to destinations within the U.S.
  • The expenditures made by packaged travelers for trips in the U.S. directly supported more than 1 million jobs (both full & part-time) in the travel industry with total earnings (wages, benefits and proprietor income) of over $22 billion.
  • Residents of the U.S. and Canada took 144 million packaged overnight trips to domestic and international destinations in 2000.
  • U.S. motorcoaches carry more than 774 million passengers annually. About 200 million more than the airlines, and more than double commuter rail. Motorcoaches serve six times more U.S. destinations than the airlines and seven times more than passenger rail.
  • Touring, casinos, cruises, beaches and theme parks were the largest and/or the most developed trip types for packaged travel.
  • Group packaged trips were longer than independent packaged trips (6.8 nights versus 5.9). Trip lengths varied substantially from 4.1 nights to 8.9 nights on touring trips.
  • For U.S. travelers, the average package cost was $2,710 for an independent and $2,838 for a group package trip.
  • The estimated economic impact in a community for one day based on a motorcoach of 30 passengers is approximately $3,500-$5,000 (includes lodging, meals, attractions and shopping).

Research conducted by Dean Runyan Associates and Longwoods International * Study supported by NTA, Canadian Tourism Commission, ABA, Travel South USA, Group Tour Magazine, Group Travel Leader and Student Youth Travel Association


For more travel information

and to request a

FREE Official Vacation Guide

and a Colorado Roadmap visit

www.colorado.com






Tour Colorado, inc. | 6420 South Quebec Street Suite B | Englewood, CO 80111 | Phone: 888.311.TOUR | Fax: 303.770.4234
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