DENVER (AP) - Colorado has set another tourism record with the 77.7 million people who visited the state last year spending an all-time high of $19.1 billion during their stay.
The Denver Post reports (http://dpo.st/29N5rQD ) the state Tourism Office said Wednesday last year's tourists generated more than $1.1 billion in state and local taxes, an increase of almost 7 percent from 2014.
The numbers show the recovery of Colorado's tourism sector since the recession has nearly doubled that of the national average. Visitation in the state has increased by 31 percent since 2009, compared to the nation's 16 percent.
Executive director of the Tourism Office, Cathy Ritter, attributes the increased visitation to marketing efforts. Colorado spent about $19 million on vacation promotion in 2015, an increase of $2 million from the previous year.