CHEYENNE — The most creative people in Wyoming government work in the Office of Tourism.
Their marketing efforts are one reason tourism is the second largest source of revenue for the state.
Maybe they don’t create the ads themselves, but they are knowledgeable enough to hire people who do that well.
Remember the TV ads last year showing the Ford Bronco tearing up dirt while the narrator described the wonders of a visit to Wyoming?
The package was part of a new competition style documentary-series called “Wild Wyoming” that the Office of Tourism joined with the Ford Bronco Wild Fund and Outside Television to sponsor.
The deal included five episodes featuring fishing, climbing or other activities in Wyoming, culminating in $70,000 donated to local outdoor organizations.
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Wyoming “is where bold, curious spirits discover adventure big and small,” read the message on the Outside Television web site.
That’s us. Or some of us.
Anyway the Office of Tourism a while back became a separate state agency with its own board and revenue source from a piece of the state-wide lodging tax.
During a meeting with the Joint Appropriations Committee, Diane Shober said Wyoming still is behind other states in the region in the amount of they invested in tourism.
A recent study she said, shows the number of people who are aware of state tourism attractions and the unaware.
The results, she suggested, may offer an opportunity to attract more of the unawares.
If Wyoming lets other states overbid it there is a potential loss of revenue.
When asked if she locks in an $8 million allocation for advertising in the standard budget, she say strategies may change with resources.
She noted how the office changes its messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic to focus more on local travel. given that people were reluctant to fly distances at the time.
“We’re building brand equity,” she said. “The brand is Wyoming.”
Turning to the competitive situation she said Montana’s tourist marketing is designed to convince people their better journey to Yellowstone National Park is through Montana. If that works, “That’s a lost visitor for us. That’s lost revenue.”
The lost visitors will travel to Montana from the east to the west stopping at the towns buying gas and food.
Although only 3% of Yellowstone lies in Montana, the city of Gardner is only a few miles from the popular North Entrance to Yellowstone.
Yellowstone Park itself is the biggest tourist enticer.
The equity piece she mentioned is displayed by the distribution of $5 million allocated by the Legislature and used for destiny development to grow a local visitors economy.
“We are doing content stories across all 23 counties to grow the number of overnight stays
As a result some smaller counties report an increase in those stays during the period from July through September.
That’s a nice start for the have-not counties.
It is difficult for the bright folks in the Office of Tourism to funnel some of that tourist money to these smaller, rural communities.
They don’t have mountains or gorgeous lakes or Grand Tetons or giant waterfalls. They have their own special attractions that they can build on with the help of professionals.
The Office of Tourism has only 24 employees and would like two more slots.
I’m sure the request will be granted given the agency’s record.
I still don’t like the tourism logo, though.
Joan Barron is a former Capitol bureau reporter. Contact her at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net.
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