Littleton to launch tourism website this summer

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In June, the City of Littleton will launch a new tourism website with the goal to attract more visitors to the city and inform them of the many highlights it has to o er.

e Visit Littleton project, which started in 2019, is reaching the nal stages of the website development process.

“Littleton is no longer suburb — it’s a destination,” said communications director Kelli Narde during a March 25 study session. “We have 565 hotel rooms. We have many amenities that are regional draws like Hudson Gardens, South Platte Park, downtown Littleton, of course, and the museum.” e Visit Littleton website, built by a marketing rm called e Zimmerman Agency, will feature events, restaurants, hotels and things to do in the Littleton area.

City tourism programs, Narde said, attract rst-time and repeat visitors and help strengthen the economy. Denver, Aurora, Arvada, Fort Collins, Golden, Longmont, Loveland and Colorado Springs all have “visit” websites to boost tourism.

“Our goal was to create a one-stop shop where you could nd everything you wanted to know about a trip to Littleton,” Narde said. “You can book a hotel room, you can make a reservation at a restaurant, you can buy a ticket to Town Hall Arts Center.” e website is Americans with Disabilities Act accessible and has a search engine for users to nd what they are looking for. Users will speci cally be able to search for places to shop, museums, and activities that are dog-friendly, family-friendly and history-related, said Michael Bunton from e Zimmerman

Agency.

Visitors will also be able to use the website to nd contact information, directions to businesses and booking information.

Narde said the communications department sta has worked with the city’s economic development sta to choose businesses to feature. Businesses that would like to be included on the website can contact the city to express interest.

Councilmember Gretchen Rydin expressed a desire for the city to engage with the Littleton Business Chamber as they continue on the project to ensure it does not interfere with the work they are doing to highlight businesses.

Stephen Barr said the city should also utilize the Downtown Development Authority to help get the message out once the website launches. e website build cost the city $70,000, which came from the city’s 2022 and 2023 budgets.

In 2024, the city plans to launch a regional marketing campaign as the third phase of the Visit Littleton Project. is campaign will likely be funded by a portion of the Lodger’s Tax approved by voters.