Tourism board reaches out to event hosts

The Crook County Promotion Board is aiming to spread awareness of the tools it has available to assist event hosts, local attractions and lodging properties as they work to make their tourism offerings a success. The hope is to support the hard work that the community puts forth to achieve success, says Steve Lenz, board chairman.

“I want to ensure they know about tools the Tourism Board offers that can help them bolster their reach,” he says. 

“We have an active Facebook page, a new website and a new electronic newsletter. If event hosts send information on their gatherings to [email protected] we can help gain exposure for gatherings across the county. They can also call our marketing firm at 307-351-0730.”

During the month of September, the tourism board’s website had nearly 7000 visits and over 11,000 page views.

“That’s a great opportunity to have your information shared,” says Lenz, “and it also helps us continue growing those numbers.” 

“We also want to hear from lodging property owners and guides in the county. They’re listed on our website at DevilsTowerCountry.com and we want to ensure the information is complete, accurate and up to date. We receive some information in association with the lodging tax collections, but not enough to adequately connect potential guests with properties.” 

Lenz continues, “If you are planning an event for 2019, it’s also a great time to reach out to the Board. Grants are available for many entities and with the recent voter-approved increase in the lodging tax, we expect additional dollars to become available in the months ahead. This has the potential to have a large positive impact on our communities and our efforts to attract visitors.”

The Crook County Promotion Board operates utilizing the lodging tax collected on overnight stays at motels, campgrounds and other lodging properties within the county.

“It’s our goal to have a positive economic impact across Crook County by helping drive traffic to our attractions, events and businesses,” says Lenz. “The more information we have about events and happenings, the better work we can do on the county’s behalf.” 

Travelers spent $31.9 million in Crook County during the 2017 visitor season according to a report released by Dean Runyan and Associates in partnership with the Wyoming Travel Industry Coalition. Statewide the travel industry generated $188 million in tax revenue, not including property taxes.

Travel spending by all domestic and international visitors in Wyoming was approximately $3.6 billion in 2017, an increase of 8.9 percent over the previous year. This is equivalent to approximately $9.5 million dollars per day. 

Travelers, in the report, are defined as those who visit the area and stay overnight or drive more than 50 miles to visit Crook County. It includes those traveling for business and leisure.