A Brand-Driven Strategy: Denver’s Approach to Tourism Workforce Development
How Visit Denver is leveraging its marketing expertise to inspire the next generation of hospitality leaders
In 2016, Denver’s tourism leaders realized a critical gap in their strategic roadmap: while the city had a clear plan for destination growth, it lacked a formal strategy for the workforce that powers it. By 2019, Visit Denver officially identified workforce development as a social impact strategy. To address this, Denver pioneered a model that leverages its strengths as a sales and marketing organization, transforming how young Coloradans perceive careers in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Defining the Role of the Destination Management Organization
Early in the process, Visit Denver faced the challenge of defining its specific role in workforce development. The image below illustrates the role they ultimately identified:
Visit Denver identified its value as the “umbrella” promoter for the tourism industry—guiding individuals toward specific sectors while strengthening the overall ecosystem through branding, collaboration, and strategic communication.
Through extensive market research, the organization recognized both a perception challenge and a strategic opportunity: while tourism is one of Denver’s largest industries, it was not widely viewed by young people as a viable, long-term career pathway. This realization directly informed the development of a more targeted, research-driven workforce campaign.
Boredom is Fired: Rebranding the Professional Hospitality Landscape
Launched in 2024, the Boredom is Fired campaign serves as the centerpiece of Denver’s workforce efforts. The strategy is rooted in research conducted with 18- to 20-year-olds in Colorado, a demographic that prioritizes financial stability, career development, and flexibility. The campaign challenges the misconception that tourism is boring and limited to front office service roles. Their website not only highlights various careers in tourism, such as hotels, events, attractions, and outdoor recreation, but also links to open job information and educational resources.
Keys to Success
The effectiveness of Denver’s model is built on several strategic pillars:
- Data-Driven Targeting: Focusing specifically on the 18-to-20-year-old demographic to maximize the impact of marketing dollars.
- High-Impact Media: Utilizing paid search, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit to meet young workers where they are, resulting in nearly 11 million impressions in a single year.
- Collaborative Infrastructure: Connecting job seekers directly to partner job boards, driving 99,000 clicks to industry employers.
- Authentic Storytelling: Using young professionals as ambassadors to speak directly to their peers about financial security and professional growth.
- Resource Accessibility: Providing a centralized website that offers career resources, blogs, and direct links to diverse job opportunities.
By combining high-impact storytelling with direct community outreach, Visit Denver is successfully positioning the hospitality industry as a premier career choice for the next generation. Their innovative approach demonstrates how a destination can use marketing expertise not just to attract visitors, but to build a thriving, sustainable workforce. The Boredom is Fired campaign serves as an inspiring blueprint for other destinations seeking to engage young talent and strengthen their local tourism industries.
