Denver

In 1908, Denver hosted the Democratic National Convention.  Recognizing the economic benefit that came from this meeting, some farsighted businessmen created a new agency that would come to be called VISIT DENVER. VISIT DENVER is a private, nonprofit trade association that is responsible for marketing metro Denver as a convention and leisure destination. The Bureau is contracted by the City & County of Denver to act as the official marketing agency for Denver. It is governed by a board of directors and employs a staff of more than 60 professionals. FUNDING VISIT DENVER is funded from both private (membership, advertising, and sponsorship) and public sources (voter-approved lodging tax). In 2017, the Bureau had a budget of $27 million, which was derived from 2.75 percent of the lodger's tax in the City and County of Denver, from advertising and private fundraising and from the membership fees the Bureau collects from its nearly 1,300 business members. IMPACT OF TOURISM In 2017, 17.4 million overnight visitors spent $5.6 billion in Denver, contributing $1.2 billion in state and local tax revenues. Direct visitor spending benefits hotels, retailers, restaurants, attractions, transportation services and other businesses, and supports jobs for more than 59,000 people in metro Denver. The Bureau uses a sophisticated, integrated marketing approach to sell Denver as a travel destination, which includes direct sales, advertising, tourism and convention industry trade shows, digital promotions, public relations, social media and more. VISIT DENVER maintains the City’s official tourism website (VISITDENVER.com), Official Visitors Guide to Denver & Colorado and Official Tourist Information Centers.