{"id":22832,"date":"2020-05-10T10:32:39","date_gmt":"2020-05-10T16:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/?p=64577"},"modified":"2020-05-10T10:32:39","modified_gmt":"2020-05-10T16:32:39","slug":"colorado-could-stop-tourism-marketing-as-budget-writers-look-to-slash-3-billion-in-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/local-news\/colorado-could-stop-tourism-marketing-as-budget-writers-look-to-slash-3-billion-in-spending\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado could stop tourism marketing as budget writers look to slash $3 billion in spending"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A mass of music loves listens intently as musicians perform during the Winter Park Jazz Festival in 2019. It’s unclear what will happen with 2020 summer events due to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/strong>
Sky-Hi News file photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Budget-slashing in the governor\u2019s economic development office is calling for a sweeping reduction of Colorado\u2019s tourism and marketing budget.<\/p>\n

The Joint Budget Committee is weighing an 87% cut<\/a> to the $18.5 million Colorado Tourism Office budget as gambling revenue evaporates under COVID-19 closures<\/a>. Nearly $15 million of the state\u2019s tourism promotion fund comes from gambling taxes.<\/p>\n

The last time the state cut tourism promotion so drastically \u2014 to zero from $12 million in 1993 \u2014 the state\u2019s largest-in-the-nation share of U.S. tourists dropped to 17th place and cost Colorado $2 billion in lost revenue a year until tourism marketing was revived in 2000.<\/p>\n

The recommendation for a one-year cut in tourism funding comes as the JBC looks for ways to cut an estimated $3 billion from next year\u2019s budget<\/a>. On Wednesday the committee cut the state\u2019s film incentive program by 80% and eliminated the Advanced Industries grant program for the coming year. <\/p>\n

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