Funding awarded to support Crafted Beverages of Southwest Colorado regional marketing campaign
Durango, Colo. – (January 18, 2018) – The Durango Area Tourism Office (DATO) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $20,000.00 matching grant from the Colorado Tourism Office. A total of $40,000.00 will be allocated in 2018 to expand Crafted Beverages of Southwest Colorado (CBSW), a regional partnership marketing campaign.
Now in its second year, CBSW aims to raise awareness of the region’s agritourism and “drink local” movement. The campaign spotlights the growing number of small batch, independent producers of crafted beverages, including beer, wine, spirits, cider, non-alcoholic gourmet sodas, and — new for 2018 — coffee and tea roasters. CBSW expands upon the popularity of “beercations” on the local, regional and national level by highlighting signature craft beverages and special events, while encouraging side trips to cultural, historic and outdoor attractions across the region.
The Southwest region is connected via the iconic San Juan Skyway, and the CBSW partnership includes Durango, Mancos, Dolores, Cortez, Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, plus Bayfield, Ignacio and Pagosa Springs. CBSW works to extend travel itineraries for regional visitors, with the goal to drive visitation and increase length-of-stay in lodging properties, targeting both in-state and out-of-state overnight travelers.
“One of the strongest aspects of this campaign is that it supports rural communities and small businesses by providing additional marketing and promotional opportunities,” notes Frank Lockwood, Executive Director with DATO. “Craft beverage producers in this region are mostly small businesses with limited marketing resources. These businesses stand to benefit greatly from the additional support, both from their respective DMOs and working with their peers.”
New for 2018, DATO will expand efforts to drive foot traffic and increase awareness with the creation of a printed “Tasting Passport”. Participants are encouraged to visit local producers and get their passports stamped at each location, with incentives including a grand prize trip to explore the region. Coffee roasters and specialty teas will also be on the menu in 2018, tapping trends including Nitro cold press coffee and serving Kombucha on tap. Quarterly meet-ups will be hosted throughout the region, encouraging peer sharing and fostering opportunities for collaboration.
The Colorado Tourism Office’s Marketing Matching Grant Program provides funding to not-for-profit organizations in the State of Colorado for the purpose of promoting the state or a region as a tourism destination. The overall goal of the program is to increase tourism revenues and economic benefit within the state through unique and effective marketing opportunities.
The Durango area is Southwest Colorado’s premier four-season destination, attracting more than one million visitors annually. Please contact Theresa Blake Graven for media inquiries, or visit www.durango.org/crafted-beverages for more information.
About Durango Area Tourism Office
The Durango Area Tourism Office (DATO) is an independent non-profit organization operating with the mission to promote Durango and La Plata County’s multitude of tourism attractions, events and services. The unbeatable combination of the iconic San Juan Mountains, art galleries, culinary fare, cultural and historic sites make it the perfect base of operations to explore Southwest Colorado. Visit DATO’s full-service Welcome Center, located at Main Avenue and 8th Street in the heart of historic downtown Durango, or online at www.durango.org. Follow @visitdurango on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
