Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway Association (TOTA) was approved to participate in the Restart Industry Associations Program by the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) in September 2021.
TOTA builds awareness of the value of the 114-mile byway and the diverse visitor experiences that it offers. Specific activities include coordination with federal land management agencies to serve visitors interested in heritage tourism, with a special commitment to educating and informing travelers about the unique cultural continuum of people and communities spanning centuries of occupation within the Four Corners region.
TOTA was paired with Julie Klein, a CRAFT Mentor from the Tourism Consulting Collaborative with experience in international tourism, sustainability strategy, standards and implementation, stakeholder engagement, and communications content development, to deliver 75 hours of free consulting to conduct the activities listed below.
The purpose of this project was to increase engagement of byway stakeholders and develop long-term association funding for restoration projects, administration, and tourism marketing.
Project objectives included:
- develop a draft Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan (CMP)
TOTA achieved the following results with its Restart Industry Associations Mentor:
- draft CMP for TOTA that aligns to standards identified by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)
- outline of CMP content gaps that includes enlisting technical references and expertise relative to best practice CMP sections
About Restart Industry Associations Program
The Restart Industry Associations Program supports Colorado tourism industry associations to drive faster recovery as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Awarded industry associations receive 75 hours of free consulting and $10,000 in direct marketing support from the Colorado Tourism Office. This program was made possible by a CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.