"Educating visitors about Ridgway's assets and how to enjoy them responsibly is more important than ever this year when visitation has been increasing due to vacationers' focus on car travel and outdoor destinations. The chamber has been shifting its messaging to encourage sustainable year-round tourism in light of these evolving changes, and these new marketing efforts will support that," said RACC Board President Tim Patterson.
The RACC was recently awarded 50 hours of free technical assistance from a CTO advertising and marketing expert. Chamber staff will use the technical assistance support to create web-search optimized content to market the Ridgway area’s winter season. The content will be used on RidgwayColorado.com, social media and newsletters, to highlight a wide range of local businesses and activities that visitors can enjoy safely without the spread of COVID-19. Other marketing messages will share RACC’s responsible recreation and tourism philosophy.
The CTO is also partially funding a winter marketing campaign for Ridgway on state promotional channels. The CTO will provide $2,000 worth of marketing services, while RACC has committed $1,500 of additional funding. From December through February, digital marketing efforts will include in-state targeted emails and targeted online advertising.
Throughout 2020, RACC has been updating content on RidgwayColorado.com, which continues to be the top search engine result for Ridgway-related searches. New web pages focus on diverse itineraries, many available year round, as well as responsible tourism tips and new promotional themes to highlight shopping, accommodations and local services.
“Ridgway offers a wide array of winter activities, relaxation and escape to solitude. Visitors can adventure by day in the surrounding mountains, fly fish on the Uncompahgre River, and snowboard or ski at Telluride Resort. Then, evenings can be filled with relaxation, enjoying performances and art shows, soaking in hot springs, stargazing under our Internationally Designated Dark Skies, and dining on quality local foods. Plus, visitors are ensured to have a safe experience, as our community is adhering to COVID-19 state and county guidelines,” said RACC Marketing Director, Hilary Lewkowitz.
In partnership with The Town of Ridgway, the RACC also applied for a fourth year of state funding for promoting the Colorado Creative Corridor. The Colorado Creative Corridor travels some 331 miles through a handful of state-certified Creative District destinations including Carbondale, Crested Butte, Paonia, Ridgway and Salida. This marketing initiative allows the RACC to market Ridgway as a year-round destination, with an emphasis on supporting our local business community. The grant award decision will be announced on Nov. 12.
