Earlier this month, Visit Durango hosted world-renowned photographer and videographer, Dan Avila and film crew.
Hailing from the port city of Fremantle, Western Australia, Avila is an award winning travel and commercial photographer, whose articles and stunning photography have appeared in high profile magazines, newspapers and online sites around the world.
Thanks to the Colorado Tourism Office and Linkd Tourism in Australia, Colorado was chosen as one of only 13 destinations around the world to be showcased and promoted through two different elements.
The first is a behind the scenes “reality” episode that will air on the in-flight entertainment of Australia’s largest domestic and international airline, Qantas Airlines, for 3 months beginning in December 2019, reaching 6.9 million viewers with an estimated media value over $1 million.
Then, the footage will be part of a National Geographic series of travel shows to be distributed across multiple countries in the next 18 to 24 months.
Durango was selected as one of several destinations around the state for its Old West heritage, incredible scenery and our strong working relationship with the CTO. The CTO developed the theme – Western history meets urban and outdoor adventure, including the Pioneering Spirit of Colorado and our Native American history. Visit Durango worked closely with the CTO to coordinate the shooting schedule and film permits for the camera crew and drone operator. Dan and Zora Avila and their team are sponsored by Canon, and brought an impressive array of the latest camera equipment and technology to capture Durango. The assets developed during this photo/video shoot will be provided to Visit Durango and our partners to promote the region in perpetuity.
According to Liz Birdsall, contractor for the Colorado Tourism Office managing the Americas, Asia and Ausralian markets: “Thanks to the incredible support of our partners throughout the state and in particular Visit Durango and the train. As a result, we were able to successfully manage this large-scale production, tapping one of Colorado’s top international markets. Partners like Visit Durango enable us to effectively market Colorado, especially to far-reaching international markets.”
Recent studies show Colorado last year attracted 85.2 million U.S.-based travelers, plus over 1 million international visitors who collectively spent $22.3 billion and generated $1.37 billion in state and local tax revenue. According to the Tourism Economics Colorado International Market Travel 2018 Report, a record 1.049 million international visitors traveled to Colorado in 2018, an increase of 7.44% over 2017. On average, overseas international travelers continued to spend more per person than any other measured travel segment.
Colorado’s top international markets are Mexico and Canada, followed by the overseas markets of the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, China and Japan. On average, the state’s international travelers spent a record $1,763 per trip, with the overseas travelers spending even more, $2,424 per trip. The overall travel spend for international travelers also saw double-digit growth over the past five years, at 23.7%. Colorado currently has in-market representation in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Special thanks goes to Visit Durango’s industry partners for your help with this film shoot and continued support hosting visiting media throughout the year: 11th Street Station, Animas Chocolate, Bookcase & Barber, City of Durango, CTO, D&SNGRR, Durango Craft Spirits, El Moro, Holiday Inn & Suites Central, Honeyville, Mesa Verde Country Visitor Information Bureau, Ore House, Ouray Tourism Office, Rochester Hotel & Leland House, Ska Brewing, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Strater Hotel, The Balcony Bar & Grill, Visit Pagosa Springs and many more. None of this is possible without their support.
To get involved and help promote Durango to visiting media, contact Theresa Graven with Visit Durango’s PR team at 247-3500.
Theresa Graven is the PR strategist for the Durango Area Tourism Office. She can be reached at 247-3500 or theresa@treehousepr.com.
