Last month, the Wind River Visitors Council (WRVC) was at the Fall Hospitality & Tourism Summit in Casper. It was wonderful to catch up with other lodging tax boards and to attend the Wyoming Office of Tourism’s Board Meeting. The conference was filled with fantastic presentations. It was also fun to be on a panel to speak about “best practices/how to best utilize the lodging tax.”
The Wind River Visitors Council also attended the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association’s annual conference in Funner, California in October. The WRVC has been working with the Northern Arapaho Economic Development Commission on the completion of a Wind River Indian Reservation Audio Tour. The tour had 10 Eastern Shoshone sites and 10 Northern Arapaho sites were added. The (almost complete) tour was released at the conference.
Following are some other highlights.
Sign at the Frank B. Wise Business Center
The WRVC is helping to get a digital sign at the Frank B. Wise Business Center on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Ice Races in Riverton
The Wind River Visitors Council has been working with the Wyoming Off-Road Racers Association (WORRA) on moving its races to the ponds at the end of east Monroe Avenue in Riverton. The season starts as soon as ice conditions allow, and the group tries to hold a race every other weekend for as long as the ice remains.
This location is close to town, and local businesses, including hotels, could benefit from racers coming from out of the area. These visitors typically come from all of Wyoming, Northern Colorado, Eastern Idaho and Southern Montana. In addition, having the races close to town provides easier access for local spectators.
The new location was approved by the Riverton City Council on October 18.
Board Meeting
The next WRVC Board Meeting is Thursday, Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon. The location is yet to be determined, but the meeting will take place in Lander.
Events
Do you have events that you’d like posted to the Wind River Visitors Council’s website, which automatically posts to the Wyoming Office of Tourism website and County 10? Please send any events, packages, news, etc. to Melanie Hoefle (the Wind River Visitors Council’s Community Engagement Manager) at [email protected]. She can also get you Wind River Visitors Council vacation guides, driving tours, Continental Divide Trail information and/or the Wyoming and Utah Pioneer Trails Auto Tour brochure.
About the Wind River Visitors Council
The Wind River Visitors Council (WRVC), a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), is charged with the responsibility of investing lodging tax revenues to facilitate wider promotion and marketing of Fremont County and the Wind River Indian Reservation (branded as Wind River Country) as a tourist and visitor destination. The Wind River Visitors Council’s mission is to stimulate tourism by increasing awareness of and encouraging visitation to, the unique destinations, activities and events in Wind River Country.
Tourism Asset Development (TAD) Program
The TAD program is a voluntary program that is unique to Wind River Country. The Wind River Visitors Council gives 25% of the local lodging tax back to the communities in the percentage that they contribute to the lodging tax. Depending on occupancy rates, these numbers are constantly changing. These funds are distributed by the chamber of commerce offices in Lander, Riverton and Shoshoni; Town Hall in Hudson; and the Town of Dubois to market the communities. Marketing efforts may include events, grants, educational programs and more.
Helen Wilson, Executive Director, WRVC
