DENVER — In marking the 36th annual National Travel and Tourism Week, the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) yesterday honored Raleigh Burt of Kristi Mt. Sports, as one of eight Top Frontline Tourism Workers statewide. Each was selected from dozens of nominees statewide for being an outstanding ambassador for “Colorado Hospitality” in their region of the state.

San Luis Valley native Raleigh Burt works with his family in their full service outdoor retail shop, Kristi Mountain Sports. The team at Kristi Mountain Sports pride themselves on customer service and serve as a shining example of small town hospitality. It’s very common to see glowing reviews from locals and travelers alike that thank Burt specifically for going out of his way to save the vacation, save the adventure. He offers excellent advice, in the friendliest way, and as an avid outdoorsman, himself, inspires the kind of trust you want when planning an adventure in rugged Colorado terrain.

“It is so inspiring to hear about the ways people like Raleigh are creating extraordinary experiences for those who visit our state,” said CTO Director Cathy Ritter. “Each of these honorees in their everyday work is creating the kinds of memories that vacationers savor and re-tell long after their trip is done. I thank each and every one of our honorees — and so many others we didn’t hear about this year — for all they do to make our state an unforgettable destination.”

As one of Colorado’s most important industries, tourism is the second-largest and fastest-growing source of jobs. In 2017, the industry directly supported 171,000 jobs and earnings of more than $6.3 billion—a 3.4 percent increase over 2016. (Jobs figures for 2018 will be available in June.)

The honoring of Top Frontline Tourism Workers is just one of the ways that the CTO is lifting up the extraordinary assets of each of the state’s eight new travel regions, created last year to raise consumer awareness and provide a focus for promotion and development of unique travel experiences in every part of the state.

To raise awareness of the new regions, the CTO has released a collection of eight new online itineraries on its Colorado Field Guide microsite, outlining great things to do and places to stay and eat throughout each travel region. From May 4 to 11, the CTO will be telling the story of a different region each day on its Visit Colorado social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and sharing regional hashtags so travelers can seek out images and for reach region.

Visit Alamosa is part of the Mystic San Luis Valley.

“Raleigh Burt and everyone who serves as the first point of contact for our regions’ travelers are the reason why so many visitors come back time-and-time again,” said Kale Mortensen, Alamosa CVB executive director. “We are fortunate to have such a strong community that embraces and serves travelers with a warm welcome. Congratulations on this recognition and thank you Raleigh for going above and beyond for our visitors.”

National Travel and Tourism Week — America’s annual salute to travel and tourism — was established by a congressional resolution in 1983. The weeklong observation champions the power of the tourism industry to generate economic benefits, including jobs and tax generation, across the United States. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org/events/national-travel-and-tourism-week.