Regional airport a tourism, economic-development asset

Tourism means big business in Colorado. As one of the state’s strongest economic drivers, tourism provides a valuable source of revenue and jobs. According to the Colorado Tourism Office, 71.3 million visitors spent $18.6 billion throughout the state in 2014, an all-time high for Colorado.

The city of Loveland’s investment in tourism was amplified in 2011 following the 2009 vote to approve a lodging tax. Acting as part of our economic development office, Visit Loveland, our destination marketing arm, has been steadily working to establish and promote Loveland as a world-class destination for art, leisure and business visitors.

These efforts are paying off. Lodging tax collections have increased steadily since 2010, visitor counts are up and Loveland has been receiving international and national attention as a destination. We are bringing more people into the city and into Northern Colorado, providing economic value to our businesses directly and through tax-revenue collection that goes back into keeping our community vibrant.

As tourism efforts continue, we must not forget about one of our community’s greatest assets: Northern Colorado Regional Airport, formerly known as Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport.

According to an economic impact study completed in 2013, the airport’s economic contribution to the communities it serves is $192.4 million in output, 826 jobs and $5.2 million in tax revenue.

The airport is one of only 14 commercially certified airports in the state of Colorado. It has grown with the region to a 1,050-acre facility with an 8,500-foot runway, full parallel taxiway, instrument landing system, 245 based aircraft, the capability to support commercial air service and a host of aviation businesses.

In late 2015, the airport launched a new partnership with Elite Airways to provide direct commercial air service to Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford, Ill. The route proved successful, with several sellout flights before the holidays. The service relaunched May 23 with 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 airliners which can hold 20 more passengers than the CRJ200s that flew the route last year, accommodating the demand.

The airport, backed by director Jason Licon, has an aggressive campaign to better support Northern Colorado and is working diligently to continue being a viable resource for our community. Recent market research indicated that, in addition to the Chicago area, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Phoenix were the other top destinations to which Northern Colorado residents flew most regularly. Whether business or leisure travel is the driving factor, the airport is invested in bringing appropriate travel opportunities to the area.

In addition to the Elite Airways partnership, the airport recently updated its name to better reflect its role as a regional airport servicing Northern Colorado and beyond. They will soon begin the process of working on a new visual identity to match.

The city of Loveland is a supportive partner for the airport. We recognize that our economic vitality and tourism opportunities will be enhanced if we all come together and invest in this vital resource. Our tourism team recently visited Rockford and met with tourism partners and media in the area. Residents in and around the Rockford area are excited about the opportunity to explore Northern Colorado and the Rocky Mountains without the hassle of going to a larger airport. They are pleased with the connection, and so are we.

Susan Grafton is economic-development director for the city of Loveland.

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