With the statewide need to advance industry workforce, the Destination Learning Lab Program aims to build a community of knowledgeable frontline workers who can ensure a positive experience for your residents and visitors. 

Participants in the program will be paired with a CTO consultant and will receive their own destination learning lab on the CTO Learning Labs platform, plus 12 hours of promotional support for the launch. 

Selected destinations will create a templated learning lab that includes:

• Up to 10 pages of customized content
• Up to 10 quiz questions
• Images and videos from the destination
• A certificate of completion

Further benefits are available at the destination's cost, such as a branded one-sheeter for your frontline workers and translation to Spanish.

Program objectives include:

• increased knowledge of local offerings
• increased awareness of the value of tourism in your destination
• increased connection to frontline workers
• enhanced visitor experience
   

Eligible applicants include Destination Marketing/Management Organizations (DMMOs). Only one application per Colorado destination organization or Colorado tourism industry association will be accepted for the program.

Applications for the Destination Learning Lab Program are closed.

Applications are first vetted through an internal compliance review to ensure eligibility and that all responses have been submitted. Incomplete applications may be rejected.

The committee will score applications on these criteria:

• strength of application
• demonstrated need for the project
• capacity to implement and maintain learning lab on CTO learning labs platform
• clarity of destination's roles and responsibilities for the project

Destination Learning Lab applicants receive decisions by email the week of January 22, 2024. 
 

The following table outlines the timeline for the projects awarded

Colorado Concierge is a free educational resource for frontline workers to become Colorado experts and grow their Colorado-style hospitality. The learning labs can be found online at ctolearninglabs.com. 

The training includes six core learning labs:

• Colorado Essentials
• The Care for Colorado Principles
• Colorado’s Eight Travel Regions
• Colorado-Style Customer Service
• Colorado Traveler Safety
• Inclusive Colorado Culture

one specialization learning lab (more coming in 2023):

• Hunting & Fishing

NEW- six destination learning labs:

• Alamosa
• Canyons & Plains
• Colorado Springs
• Greeley
• Gunnison Crested Butte
• Pueblo

With the statewide need to advance industry workforce, the destination learning labs build a community of knowledgeable frontline workers who ensure a positive experience for visitors and residents. 

In an effort to advance industry workforce across the state, CTO is exploring opportunities to offer this to more industry partners in the future. If you are interested in developing a destination learning lab, please fill out this letter of interest form. 

If you’ve taken the time to complete the Colorado Concierge training, take advantage of these new ways to share your achievement with your customers, network, and community.

Benefits include:

• a downloadable certificate of completion
• entry into a drawing for a chance to win one of three free registrations for the annual Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference (a $350 value)

Incorporate Colorado Concierge into your social media outreach

Promote Colorado Concierge through your social media network by pulling content from the five Colorado Concierge training chapters. Pose a safety question to your community or quiz them on a regional fact, and encourage them to complete the full training. Build a plan to regularly remind your destination of the free resource.

Incorporate Colorado Concierge into your onboarding practices

If you are a company, agency or organization the program is a great tool to incorporate into employee onboarding practices, and is helpful for new organizations beginning to build their workplace culture. If you are a destination marketing organization or chamber of commerce, consider including messaging on the Colorado Concierge program during your outreach to new businesses in your area.

Share your success stories with the Colorado Tourism Office to inspire others

If you have found new ways to use Colorado Concierge in your community, spread the message far and wide to your network and let us know. We would like to hear your stories and amplify your experiences. Reach out to the program manager below with your experiences.

CRAFT Learning Labs are free educational learning opportunities for Colorado tourism professionals related to tourism development, promotion, and management. Nine learning labs are available on topics such as adventure tourism, sustainable tourism, and tourism marketing.

You can access the learning labs on Thinkific, our free online learning platform.

Available CRAFT Learning Labs include:

• Adventure Tourism
• Bicycle Tourism
• Champion the Value of Tourism
• Community-Based Tourism
• Culinary and Agritourism
• Cultural and Heritage Tourism
• Sustainable Tourism
• Tourism Marketing
• Visitor Readiness