USA: State Director Talks Tourism

Cathy Ritter, director of the Colorado Tourism Office speaks during the 128th Annual Chamber Banquet on Friday at the Abbey Events Center.

Cathy Ritter, director of the Colorado Tourism Office, was the guest speaker during the 128th Annual Chamber Banquet on Friday at the Abbey Events Center. She shared Colorado's latest tourism campaign and talked about how tourism affects Fremont County.

She said tourism is vital to the health of Colorado.

"Tourism brings in $1.1 billion a year to this state," Ritter said. "That was a 2014 number, in June we will find out the new number and it will be more."

She said 2014 was the first time state tax revenues from tourism topped $1 billion.

"That offset your tax bill by at least $200 per person," Ritter said. "Every one of us is enriched by tourism."

In 2014, Colorado had a record 71.3 million visitors, which triggered $18 billion in spending, $1.1 billion in taxes, and supported more than 155,000 jobs.

"That's been a steady uptick over the years," Ritter said.

In Fremont County, direct travel spending was $58.7 million, direct employment was 800, direct earnings was $13.6 million, local tax revenue was $1.4 million, and state tax revenue was $1.7 million.

Ritter formerly was the Illinois State Tourism director, and began her job as the director of the Colorado Tourism Office on Dec. 1.