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More Choose Denver As Tourist Destination

DENVER (CBS4)- It's no surprise to the people who live in Colorado but more people are choosing Denver as a destination when planning a trip.

From the 16th Street Mall to sporting events and venues, Colorado's craft beer industry and recreational marijuana, there are more perks than ever to visiting the Mile High City.

Denver Skyline Generic
(credit: CBS)

Last year Denver had 31 million visitors, a new record for the city. Counting those who stayed at least one night, that adds up to $5 billion.

"It creates economic impact, it creates jobs, and people pay taxes that residents don't have to pay. In fact, if you took tourism out of our community, each resident household would have to pay about $500 more a year just to have the same basic services," said VISIT DENVER CEO Richard Scharf.

Scharf says not only do those visitors stay in the city, they also travel to surrounding communities in the Denver metro area.

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