Outdoor Recreation Business Is Heating Up in Colorado

It’s no surprise that Colorado is a destination for some of the greatest skiing and snowboarding on the planet. What’s changing though is the increase in emphasis on other types of seasonal recreation in our state. The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) has formed what they call the “Colorado Tourism Roadmap“, and some of the main objectives are to get the input of locations throughout the state and develop marketing campaigns aimed at drawing visitors of all kinds to Colorado. While some of the strategy is to tap into the obvious and abundant natural resources in certain areas of the state, the purpose for CTO is to market cross-region experiences for both in-state and out-of-state travelers. More travel equals more spending and tax dollars into the state’s coffers, as evidenced by the last few years data. According to recent numbers, Colorado leads most states when it comes to the outdoor industry, boasting $646 billion dollars in business.

Key in that has success has been the development of jobs surrounding the outdoor industry, and leading the charge to make sure that happens is the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (CORIA). Established in 2015 the mission is not only to help with economic development, but to help promote stewardship, conservation and sustainability in the use of Colorado’s natural resources. CORIA’s mission is to try and both keep and attract outdoor industry businesses in Colorado. In their words, “We champion industry, communities and people to come to life through Colorado’s Great Outdoors.” Another area of concern is how to slow the departure of businesses, as some outdoor businesses and organizations have left Colorado for Utah, and CORIA is in part responsible for being an ambassador for the outdoor industry in Colorado; part of that work is to show how Colorado is a better option to over our neighbors in the Beehive State.

With these initiatives working in tandem, it goes to show that Colorado is well-positioned to be an attractive location for businesses who run in the outdoor industry space, for both existing companies and those considering making Colorado their home. Something that should work in the favor of those businesses is proposed legislation that could streamline the permitting process that exists now. If passed, the bill would create a special designation for certain prized recreation spots, and in turn, that means support businesses would be able to come into existence to offer provisions, equipment and even accommodations. Colorado is already home to a very strong manufacturing culture, so it’s doubly positioned to provide both the facilities and the workforce to support such industry, should it either come from elsewhere or be spawned locally because of outdoor industry’s growth. Either way, the time is right for small business to make it big in the outdoor industry and at the same time, help continue to grow the Colorado economy.

If you need legal help, don’t hesitate to contact me at the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Small Business Attorney. Phone: 720-258-6647. Email: elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.

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