Tourism a key driver in Colorado Springs.

• Author: LeVine, Rob
• Position: VIEWS from colorado springs

Tourism, the "invisible industry," has an enormous role in the stare's economy roughly $10 billion per year in direct spending -- and yet this economic driver gets little attention, says Doug Price, president and GEO of the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau.

During the session "Tourism's Role in the Pike's Peak Economy," Price spoke about the branding, or the lack thereof, of Colorado Springs, and his desire to create a cohesive brand for the region.

Because we're a "nation of shopkeepers," those in the tourism business need to be more assertive about telling our story, Price said. Although our statewide budget for tourism promotion is OK, that's all it is. With our myriad of attractive assets, and with key competitors thinking about cutting back (such as Texas and Florida), we ought to be pushing down on the pedal.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Ford Frick, managing director of BBC Research & Consulting, spoke about Christo's ambitious proposal to drape some of the Arkansas River between Salida and Canon City. The Bureau of Land Management's environmental impact statement. (EIS) is due out soon and will...