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2006 Tourism Year
2006 was the best tourist year yet for Denver with 11.7 million overnight visitors coming to the city, a 13 percent increase over the 10.4 million who came to Denver in 2005. This increase represents the largest single one year increase in tourism in Denver's history. Overnight leasure travel to the city increased from 7.9 million to 9.1 million visitors. The record number of visitors spent a record $2.76 million, which was also a 13 percent increase over 2005. The biggest increase in spending was seen in the accomodations category 
where spending increased 24 percent to $800 million, reflecting the 2006 increases in hotel inventory, occupancy and room rates.
The number of "marketable" visitors - visitors who are not visiting friends or relatives and can therefore travel to any destination - increased a record 12 percent to 3.6 million visitors. Business travelers increased by 7 percent to 2.6 million, surpassing a national increase of just 5 percent in 2006.
Source: Longwoods International, 2006
Photo of Larimer Square
Source: Longwoods International, 2006
Leisure visitors looking for shopping ranked the 16th Street Mall as the number one most popular shopping destination. Other Downtown retail destinations including Larimer Square, Denver Pavilions and the Shops at Tabor Center, all ranked in the top ten. LoDo was the most popular sight or attraction and the Colorado State Capitol, U.S. Mint, Downtown Aquarium, Denver Art Museum and Elitch Gardens were all ranked in the top 15.
Source: Longwoods International, 2006
2006 was the best year in Denver's history for Conventions. More than 530 meetings and conventions were held in Denver with 320,950 attendees and an estimated economic impact of
$521.2 million, a 23 percent increase over the previous record of $424.3 million in 2005.
Source: Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau
According to meeting planners, Denver is the 4th best convention destination in the top 40 U.S. cities. Overall, Denver is rated 10th best convention destination out of the top 40 cities.
Source: 2007 Metropoll
10 Year Citywide Convention Center Activity
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No. of Conventions |
Total Attendance (projected) |
Total Room Nights (contracted) |
Spending Generated |
| 1997 |
42 |
183,400 |
292,210 |
$212,017,312 |
| 1998 |
36 |
161,400 |
249,593 |
$268,586,856 |
| 1999 |
43 |
157,162 |
249,593 |
$213,692,387 |
| 2000 |
37 |
128,650 |
251,129 |
$231,218,182 |
| 2001 |
34 |
156,398 |
229,311 |
$223,618,070 |
| 2002 |
31 |
120,545 |
246,084 |
$149,350,448 |
| 2003 |
26 |
112,048 |
243,013 |
$166,940,774 |
| 2004 |
30 |
125,196 |
228,423 |
$181,641,408 |
| 2005 |
40 |
164,095 |
274,965 |
$305,738,136 |
| 2006 |
55 |
197,040 |
307,961 |
$358,948,440 |
| 2007 |
75 |
226,030 |
411,741 |
$429,084,768 |
Source: Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau
Downtown is home to approximately 17 percent of metro area hotel rooms with a total of 7,888 rooms. The 2007 average occupancy rate was 69.5 percent with an average
room rate of $152.48 - the highest average room rate in the metro area.
Source: Rocky Mountain Lodging Report
Downtown Denver has 6 hotels under construction or planned which will add over 1,300 rooms and nearly 200 condos to the hotel and residential markets.
Source: Compiled by the Downtown Denver Partnership, last updated February, 2008
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