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    Continental Divide Trail Gateway Community Designation Ceremony Wednesday at the Coalter Loft

    Please join Wind River Visitors Council Board Members and staff and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition for a Continental Divide Trail Gateway Community Designation Ceremony for Lander-South Pass City. This evening of celebration takes place on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. at the Coalter Loft in Lander and will include appetizers and Mayor Richardson signing a proclamation to finalize the designation. This was a senior project in the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management degree program at the University of Wyoming, and three students worked with the Wind River Visitors Council on this exciting designation.

    In other news, the Wind River Visitors Council (WRVC) recently wrapped up its 2021 to 2022 fiscal year, and the numbers are in.

    Lodging Tax Collections in Fremont County

    Fremont County’s lodging tax revenue for fiscal year 2021/2022 (ending June 30, 2022) was $1,016,610.77. This was significantly higher than fiscal year 2020/2021, which came in at $729,499.82. Fiscal year 2021/2022 was a record-breaking year, with the previous record set in fiscal year 2018/2019 at $734,689.52. The chart below provides additional information.

    2021: Where Visitors to Fremont County Spent $157.8 Million (up 34.3% from 2020)

    • $30.7 million was spent in restaurants (up 16.9% from 2020)
    • $27.8 million was spent in lodging (up 56.4% from 2020)
    • $21.6 million was spent in arts, entertainment and recreation (up 16% from 2020)
    • $19.9 million was spent in gas and local transportation (up 54.7% from 2020)
    • $17.4 million was spent in shopping (up 17.6% from 2020)
    • $9.8 million was spent in food stores (up 18.8% from 2020)
    • $1 million was spent in visitor air travel (up 20.7% from 2020)

    For comparison, in 2020 visitors to Fremont County spent $117.5 million.

    Jobs and Wages in Fremont County

    Tourism creates jobs and living wages for year-round residents. In 2021, Fremont County tourism directly supported 1,460 jobs and generated approximately $54.2 million in wages. These salaries are in turn spent in secondary markets such as contractors, utilities, taxes and general everyday local living.

    For comparison, in 2020 tourism directly supported 1,410 jobs and generated approximately $47.9 million in wages.

    Information provided by The Dean Runyan Association Economic Impact Survey.

    TravelStorys

    The WRVC is working with the Northern Arapaho Economic Development Commission on the completion of a Wind River Indian Reservation Audio Tour. The tour currently has 10 Eastern Shoshone sites, and 10 Northern Arapaho sites are being added. The full tour is scheduled to be released this year.

    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 is a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) and 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.

    About the 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 percent 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 Destination Dubois in Dubois to market the communities. Marketing efforts may include events, grants, educational programs, etc.

    For more information about the Wind River Visitors Council, contact Executive Director, Helen Wilson, at [email protected].

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