Leaders from all aspects of Colorado's tourism industry spoke at the rally, including Eugene Dilbeck, president of the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau; Rob Perlman, president of Colorado Ski Country USA; Peter Meersman, chairman of the Colorado Restaurant Association; John Cantamessa, chairman of the Colorado River Outfitters Assn., Ilene Kamsler, president of the Colorado Lodging Assn.; and Reeves Brown, president of Club 20. Various presidents from convention and visitor bureaus across the state also addressed the rally.

Proponents believe the funding is needed, even as the state of Colorado faces an estimated $800 million deficit because of the slow economy. Colorado ranks 34th out of 50 states in public sector funding for tourism promotion. The tourism industry, Colorado's second largest industry, has been disproportionately battered by the events of the past 16 months--the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a national recession, the state's worst drought in decades and wildfires that consumed 501,630 acres during last summer's vacation season. The Governor and the Colorado tourism industry feel it is critical to invest the $10 million not only to offset the losses from the past year, but to prevent further erosion to the state's economy.

According to Longwoods Research, the $10 million spent on promoting Colorado should generate about $500 million in spending by tourists in the state, yielding approximately $27.5 million in local and state taxes.