{"id":2458257,"date":"2020-05-10T13:25:26","date_gmt":"2020-05-10T19:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=325546"},"modified":"2020-05-10T13:25:26","modified_gmt":"2020-05-10T19:25:26","slug":"colorado-looks-at-tourism-marketing-as-budget-writers-look-to-slash-3-billion-in-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/colorado-looks-at-tourism-marketing-as-budget-writers-look-to-slash-3-billion-in-spending\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado looks at tourism marketing as budget writers look to slash $3 billion in spending"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The crowd enjoys music at the JAS Labor Day Experience in Snowmass VIllage on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019.<\/strong>
Lynn Goldsmith \/ Special to The Aspen Times<\/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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