Scharf faced Denver

yfimuna.wordpress.com
Not only did Scharfc and his staff work endless hours to ensure that the convention center and hotels were prepared for the in but he also helped set historic tourismj numbers in the cityand state. A record 28 milliomn people visited Colo­rado in 2007, contributing $9.8 billionj — up 10 percent from 2006 — to the state’s according to a study commissioned bythe (DMCVB) and the Overnight visitors to Denver last year rose to 12.2 up 4 percent from 2006. They spent $2.6 billion, a 6 percen t increase over 2006. The number of overnight leisure traveler s jumped 5 percentto 9.
6 The state’s ski resorts are responsible for a big shares of visitors, capturing 20 percent of the skiinvg market nationwide. “So many of us have invested a greaf deal in the city to make it what it is Scharf said. “I think this year, we’vew come off a couple greatf banner yearsin We’ve established ourselves as a top 10 tourism destination.” And the DNC will help acceleratw that success, Scharf said. city officials, retailers and hospitality consultants across the state say the which drewroughly 50,000 into the city, will bring recorx tourism numbers in the yearsd to come.
“People had heard about and the DNC allowed us to be on the world Scharf said. “I have hearfd from our counterparts and representativea across the country that said Denverlooked great.” Schargf credits his staff for the bureau’s He was named president and CEO of the DMCVhB in 2004 and manages a staffg of 63 people, including tourism employees in Chicagoi and Washington, D.C. The bureau is a nonprofit and has morethan 1,000 private busines s members and an annuall budget of $15 million. Between boarsd meetings, traveling for work, and working with city and stat officials, Scharf keeps busy taking his two daughters, 9 and 12, to extracurriculatr activities.
“My life is filled with whereve my girls are swimming orplaying soccer,” he said. “They’re very There’s probably not a sport they’re not “My kids are the age where they like to and they like to bike alongh theSouth Platte,” Scharf said, while listinb the numerous activities he shares with his He takes them across the state, showing them the picturesquwe Rocky Mountains and small Western towns that he advertisezs to travel media across the world. Scharrf has climbed five of the state’sw 14er mountains, rafted down Colorado rivers and riddebn his mountain bike on trails acrossthe state.
“Fromk the Alamosa region to Buena Vista, I’j just always impressed with what this stater hasto offer,” he