In 2010, the online presence and tourism marketing of Cañon City and the Royal Gorge Region was virtually non-existent. Lodging Tax growth was flat and there was no plan on how to use the lodging tax that was being received. The Fremont County Lodging Tax Council (FCTC) knew something needed to be done, but what?

The FCTC brought on DestinationiQ as a full service destination management consultancy, which included everything from running monthly FCTC meetings, managing the tourism budget, assisting with advocating for community lodging tax votes, crisis communication, grant management, development, marketing, branding, and more. This relationship started in 2010 and continues today with the DestinationiQ staff having deep, historical knowledge of tourism management and marketing in Fremont County, Colorado.

Following the 2013 Royal Gorge fire, DestinationiQ swiftly implemented a Tourism Marketing Recovery program, bolstered by financial support from various organizations, including an EDA grant. Despite the fire, lodging tax revenues surpassed 2012 figures, attributed largely to the effective marketing campaign, resulting in increased tourism spending despite the closure of the Royal Gorge Bridge for most of the year.

Starting from virtually nothing in 2010, The Royal Gorge Region boasts the following statistics in 2023: