Braving tariff-related sentiment, a travel trade mission from the state of Colorado called in Toronto Tuesday night inviting Canadians to discover – or return to – a state with an endless, and sometimes surprising, array of attributes for visitors.
At the event, titled “Colorado Loves Canada” – the state’s deputy director of international tourism Andrea Blankenship lamented the stress caused by US Trump’s threat of a trade war, which peaked earlier this week, stating, “Canada is Colorado’s No. 1 trading partner, including tourism. We know you will continue to support us again – even if it’s not now.”
What Canadians will find when they come, she continued, is “a very welcoming and inclusive state” with great variety, from lively urban enclaves to mountains and sand dunes, that can serve as the start for a “great American road trip.”
It’s also a four-season destination that, with four national parks, offers all manner of outdoor and backcountry activities, such as hiking, biking, rafting and mountain climbing, but also has 30 ski resorts, 10 scenic railways, 400 breweries, 100 distilleries, 140 wineries, and recently was awarded its own Michelin guide.
“You can ski and golf in the same day, and who knew that we have the tallest sand dunes in the US?” enthused Blankenship.
Denver, a Mile High city filled with arts and culture (including the amazing Red Rocks outdoor amphitheatre), sports, and great culinary options, is the “base camp” for the state, but also the gateway from Canada, with service by Air Canada, WestJet and United, from seven cities (including Regina later this year) to Denver International Airport.
Other Colorado destinations worthy of attention, presenters noted, include Snowmass (third largest ski resort); Alamosa, best known for access to Great Sand Dunes National Park, which recently received dark sky designation; southern Durango, for its Old West heritage and proximity to Mesa Verda National Park, a UNESCO site; and Fort Collins, which boasts the only “wild, scenic” (development prohibited) river in the state and is close to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mountaineer noted that it began a Denver to Moab, Utah, route in 2021 – it’s first standalone international expansion beyond the Canadian Rockies.
Most importantly, Blankenship, reminded: “(Colorado) will always be there for you, no matter the current (political) situation.”
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