Introduction: What we eat and drink during our travels offers insight into a place’s culture, history, and traditions, enriching the tourism experience. Exploring culturally diverse culinary experiences, such as ancient grains, Tribal traditions, and local cuisines, deepens our connections to a community’s heritage. Beyond providing the food and beverages enjoyed by visitors, agriculture forms the very fabric of experiences from farm and dude ranch visits to brewery and winery tasting tours. By supporting local food systems, farmers, and cultural traditions, we enhance the authenticity of tourism and strengthen food security through local production. The opportunity exists to highlight and elevate agriculture and food as key attractions in Colorado’s tourism industry.
Goal: Foster the stewardship of Colorado’s vibrant agriculture and liquid arts industry through training, recognition, and development while celebrating and preserving Colorado’s culinary heritage.
Objective: By 2035, the number of travelers who report to have tried local food or liquid arts while visiting will increase to 50%.
Strategies
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 1: Safeguard and Celebrate Culinary Traditions
Partnering with local communities and culinary experts, this strategy celebrates traditional recipes and cooking methods to highlight and preserve culinary heritage. It also encourages contemporary interpretations to elevate Colorado’s dining experiences, enhancing its reputation as a culinary hotspot. By safeguarding these traditions, Colorado honors its past while paving the way for future innovation in the food scene.
- Partner with culinary schools to preserve and document traditional recipes
- Develop documentary projects to highlight and celebrate culinary traditions
- Organize chef exchange programs and culinary competitions to raise the profile of CO’s food scene
- Utilize the CTO’s Destination Development programs
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of local chefs, restaurants, or dishes receiving recognition, awards or media coverage for contemporary interpretations of traditional cuisine
- Number of partnerships between communities and culinary experts
- Increase in economic benefits to local artists, farmers, and food producers resulting from an increase in demand for traditional ingredients and products
Role of the Tourism Industry
Embrace and promote Colorado’s culinary heritage within the tourism sector, engaging visitors with traditional and innovative dining and drinking experiences that highlight the state’s rich culinary culture.
Potential Supporting Partners
CTO, Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), History Colorado, Colorado Agritourism Association (CAA), Colorado Restaurant Association and Foundation
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 2: Promote Colorado as a Culinary Destination
This strategy aims to spotlight Colorado’s rich farm-to-table culture and diverse culinary attractions through targeted marketing campaigns. By showcasing the state’s food and liquid arts, it emphasizes the connection between agriculture and dining while establishing food as a unique point of differentiation for Colorado.
- Develop collaborative marketing campaigns
- Support and/or host signature culinary events
- Engage food influencers and food critics
- Utilize Colorado.com to promote culinary attractions
- Develop and promote culinary experiential packages
- Apply for CTO competitive grants or co-ops to market culinary attractions
Key Performance Indicators
- Reach and impressions of marketing campaigns
- Number of pageviews on Colorado.com related to local cuisine or liquid arts
- Number of culinary packages and thematic trails developed
Role of the Tourism Industry
Promote Colorado’s unique farm-to-table experiences and locally sourced cuisine to position the state as a top culinary destination.
Potential Supporting Partners
DMOs, CDA, CAA, Colorado Restaurant Association and Foundation
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 3: Engage Culinary Experts for Global Exposure
Colorado’s culinary heritage can be showcased on a wider scale by engaging culinary experts. Partnerships with notable chefs, food writers, and culinary content developers can highlight the state’s diverse and rich culinary offerings. These collaborations will elevate Colorado’s status as a top culinary destination and attract food enthusiasts from around the globe.
- Support and/or host master classes and workshops
- Develop a culinary ambassador program
- Organize collaborative culinary events between local restaurants and chefs, farmers, culinary schools, breweries, wineries, food and travel content creators, and DMOs
- Conduct media tours and press trips to develop articles and features in influential food and travel publications
- Utilize Colorado.com to showcase partnerships with culinary experts
- Develop an online culinary content series to share stories and behind-the-scenes insights into local cuisine, farming practices, and food production
- Celebrate excellence through culinary awards and recognition
- Connect with the CTO’s PR team to amplify promotion
Key Performance Indicators
- Reach and impressions of marketing campaigns
- Number of pageviews on Colorado.com related to Colorado cuisine
- Number of partnerships with chefs and culinary experts
Role of the Tourism Industry
Collaborate with culinary experts and influencers to showcase Colorado’s culinary heritage
Potential Supporting Partners
DMOs, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado Agritourism Association, Colorado Restaurant Association and Foundation
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 4: Support Culinary Festivals and Events
Festivals and events strengthen community ties and highlight Colorado’s rich food culture. DMOs can collaborate with local communities to organize culinary events and festivals that celebrate local culinary traditions while generating economic benefits. Thoughtful planning and collaboration can showcase a destination’s unique flavors and culinary heritage, fostering local pride and providing authentic experiences for visitors.
- Collaborate with community members to develop a festival event calendar
- Conduct marketing and promotion of events
- Develop tourism packages with industry partners focused on festivals and events
- Leverage CTO’s Destination Development programs to identify culinary assets that can be used for event opportunities
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of culinary festivals and events celebrating local agriculture and food traditions
- Attendance at events
Role of the Tourism Industry
Support and actively participate in the organization of community-supported culinary festivals and events.
Potential Supporting Partners
CTO, CDA, CAA, Colorado Restaurant Association and Foundation, local restaurants and chefs
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 5: Create Immersive Culinary Tourism Itineraries
Thematic culinary tourism itineraries can help travelers discover Colorado’s agritourism, culinary, and liquid arts experiences. These itineraries can serve as a roadmap to Colorado’s finest food and drink destinations, from farm-to-table dining to brewery tours, helping travelers navigate through a destination’s highlights and hidden gems.
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of itineraries developed and promoted
- Reach and impressions of marketing campaigns
Role of the Tourism Industry
Collaborate to create itineraries that showcase the destination’s top culinary attractions.
Potential Supporting Partners
DMOs, industry associations, restaurants, hotels
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 6: Advance the Development of Agritourism
Agritourism diversifies income for farmers, promotes rural development, increases education about agriculture, fosters sustainable tourism practices, and enhances local economies by attracting visitors to rural areas.This strategy supports communities in developing agritourism attractions and preparing farmers and producers for the tourist market. Training programs on the CTO Learning Lab platform focus on culinary and agritourism to enhance the capabilities of local agricultural entrepreneurs. The Colorado SBDC Network also offers business development assistance to transform agricultural operations into visitor attractions.
- Leverage the CTO Learning Lab platform for increased education
- Apply for CTO competitive grants and co-ops to develop agritourism offerings and promotional campaigns
- Utilize the CTO’s Destination Development programs
- Apply for OEDIT’s Business Support division Small Business Accelerated Growth Program grants
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of agritourism businesses supported
- Number of new agritourism experiences created
Role of the Tourism Industry
Utilize the resources available through CTO and other state programs to develop more agritourism businesses.
Potential Supporting Partners
DOLA, SBDC, CADMO, Rural Opportunity Office
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 7: Enhance Agritourism Signage and Routes
Installing directional and interpretive signage along designated agritourism routes can raise awareness among visitors about Colorado’s agricultural, food, and liquid arts attractions. These enhancements make agritourism sites more accessible and informative while highlighting the importance of agriculture to Colorado’s heritage and economy.
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of new signs installed
- Increase in agritourism site visits
Role of the Tourism Industry
Support the development of agritourism signage and routes by collaborating with local governments and agricultural agencies to identify sites, investing in high-quality signage, and promoting routes through marketing campaigns and digital platforms.
Potential Supporting Partners
Colorado Department of Agriculture, CDOT, Colorado Agritourism Association, local and Tribal governments
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 8: Promote Agritourism Offerings
Enhancing the visibility of Colorado’s agritourism experiences highlights the state’s agricultural diversity, supports local economies, and preserves rural heritage. Promoting farm tours, food festivals, and farmers’ markets connects visitors with authentic local experiences, bridging the gap between urban populations and rural communities. Comprehensive guides and curated itineraries will simplify the discovery of agritourism and culinary adventures, deepening the appreciation of Colorado’s agricultural roots, encouraging sustainable tourism, and generating income for local farmers and communities.
Key Performance Indicators
- Number of communities to develop agritourism guides
- Increase in agritourism site visits
Role of the Tourism Industry
Actively support the development of agritourism, liquid arts, and food trail guides.
Potential Supporting Partners
Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado Agritourism Association, DMOs, Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 9: Elevate Local Agriculture Products
The tourism industry’s ability to influence consumer choices offers a valuable opportunity to bolster Colorado’s farming communities by promoting the purchase of local agricultural products. This strategy calls for a coordinated effort to connect tourism businesses with local farmers and ranchers, integrating more Colorado-grown products into restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions.
- Establish partnerships between local farms and tourism-related businesses
- Conduct marketing and promotion
- Organize networking events to connect businesses with agricultural producers
- Connect with the CTO’s PR team to amplify promotion
Key Performance Indicators
- Increase in sales of local agricultural products
- Number of partnerships between tourism businesses and farmers/ranchers
- Increase in local products used in tourism businesses
Role of the Tourism Industry
Actively source and promote local agricultural products within tourism operations, encouraging visitors and residents to support Colorado’s agricultural communities.
Potential Supporting Partners
Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado Agritourism Association, CTO
Agriculture, Food, and Liquid Arts 10: Broaden MICHELIN Guide Partnerships Statewide
Encouraging the expansion of the MICHELIN Guide partnership across more regions in Colorado aims to spotlight the state’s widespread culinary achievements. By including additional destinations in this prestigious guide, Colorado can showcase its diverse and exceptional dining experiences, elevating the state’s culinary profile globally and driving increased visitation.
- Identify potential new locations to expand the partnership
- Design and implement quality and enhancement programs to help raise standards
- Partner with food and travel media to generate coverage of the state’s culinary scene
- Engage with food content creators and bloggers to review and promote local restaurants
Key Performance Indicators
Number of culinary establishments recognized in expanded MICHELIN Guide partnerships statewide
Role of the Tourism Industry
Through promoting restaurants and developing strong networks of high-quality local suppliers, support the expansion of MICHELIN Guide partnerships to elevate Colorado’s culinary reputation.
Colorado Restaurant Association and Foundation
Potential Supporting Partners
DMOs, CTO, chambers of commerce, local governments
