Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) put its best on show for this year’s Snow Travel Expo with one of the largest stands at the event, a strong level of enquiries, and national TV coverage on Channel 7’s Sunrise over the past weekend reaching an audience of 611,000.
During the Sunrise weather crosses in Sydney, Presenter Sam Payne learned about Colorado’s 28 renowned ski areas and resorts, while celebrity trainer Bernadette Sukkar from Body by Berner demonstrated how to get fit before even hitting the slopes.
In line with CTO’s collaborative approach to destination marketing, representatives from Colorado resorts Aspen Snowmass, Visit Telluride, Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company joined in on the Sunrise fun, adding colour to the crosses with a snow-wear fashion show, discussing Colorado’s superior snow conditions, and culminating in an on-air ‘Après lifestyle’ party.
Colorado loves Aussies (and vice versa)
According to CTO International Market Director Liz Birdsall, who visited Australia for the Snow Travel Expo, and key trade and media meetings, Australia is a significant market for Colorado, both historically and in forecasting.
“Aussies stay longer in our destination as they want to make the most of their time in Colorado, often staying around two weeks to have incredible experiences and create life-long memories. For some of our resorts, Australia is the leading market.
“The ANZ region is currently a top five international market for Colorado tourism and this is forecast to continue in 2027, so having a strong presence in this region is a priority for Colorado Tourism Office to strengthen the bonds created after more than eight years in market.
“We also have a high percentage of repeat visitation across all travellers to Colorado, so we know that once Australians get a taste of the destination, there’s a great chance they’ll come back for more,” Ms Birdsall said.
Quote from Kylee Kay, Account Director for Colorado Tourism Office and Managing Director of Linkd Tourism: “The Colorado Tourism office in partnership with Visit Telluride and Visit Denver once again participated in this year’s annual Snow Travel Expo in Melbourne on 17 May and Sydney on Sunday 24 May.
“While Melbourne was steady, Sydney was bursting at the seams from the moment the doors opened and right through to the near end of day. The enquiries were steady and the quality was exceptional. It was evident people are planning their trips to Colorado for the 2027 season now.
“Visit Telluride brought their usual fun flair with beer tasting, while Denver once again provided a fun kids’ corner with activities to provide an escape from the crowd that they (and the big kids) needed.
“This consumer activity supports our comprehensive industry activity in the local market, with the increase in interest in Colorado supported by a 56% website visitation increase to our local CTO travel trade site.”
Quote from Bernadette Sukkar, Founder of Body by Berner: “Having skied around the world, with a highlight being Aspen in Colorado, it was great to join the Sunrise crosses over the weekend and have some fun with the visiting resort representatives, demonstrating exercises to help Australians get their bodies ready for ski season!”
