Tourism is a crucial business for Wyoming, employing more than 30,000 people and generating an annual payroll of $704 million. It’s impressive for a business that basically is dedicated to celebrating what we love about Wyoming – the great outdoors and the beloved western way of life.
And it’s one of the industries that Wyoming has been able to count on during ups and downs in the economy. The growth in tourism is strong. Local and state tax receipts from tourism now total $111 million annually, which is nearly double what tourism brought in just 13 years ago in 1997. Those 30,000 jobs range from outdoors specialists, hunting and fishing guides, restaurant and hotel owners and their many support staff as well as retailers, providers of the state’s great recreational services and the arts that celebrate the unique beauty of the land and our people.
And while this vibrant business reliably provides jobs and income to state and local governments, it plays a crucial second role – showing the rest of the world what a great place Wyoming is to live in or start a business.
I will be a dependable supporter of Wyoming’s tourism industry if elected Governor. Here’s how:
Investing in Wyoming infrastructure is one of my major goals. If people can’t get here and around the state, how will they spend their money on our thriving tourism industry? This is the right economic climate to do the needed work on roads, not only for everybody’s increased ability to travel, but to keep the road construction businesses strong during hard economic times. I will also work with our Congressional delegation to address matters of essential air service.
We must make the most of what our state offers in the winter as well as we do the summer activities. By encouraging snowmobiling, skiing, dog sledding, snowshoeing and other cold weather sports we can keep the state’s second largest industry on a more predictable and even path. I fully support snow machines in Yellowstone and snowplanes on Jackson Lake.
Wyoming has been very successful in its targeted and inspiring tourism marketing. We must continue to tell our story so people think of Wyoming first when they want a family vacation. In 2009, when national leisure travel declined by 2%, visits grew in Wyoming. Yellowstone National Park recorded a 5% increase over the previous high 10 years ago. Recreation visits to Teton National Park increased 4% from the year before. Wyoming has invested in successful support of tourism and I support continuing to do so.
As Governor I would work with stakeholders to create a world-class outdoor recreation event of the caliber of the Boston Marathon or Ride the Rockies bicycle race. Possibilities would be a marathon in Saratoga, bike race in the Big Horns, mountain bike event in the Red Desert or cross country ski races. We could celebrate Wyoming’s great recreation opportunities and gain nationwide publicity while energizing our own great local sports and recreation businesses.
We must expand and enhance the opportunities for major motion pictures to be filmed in Wyoming. Wyoming has increased its efforts to recruit film and commercial production in the state, but this is only the first step. The recent film “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” was set in Wyoming, but the only thing really from Wyoming was a painting in the Morgan’s cabin done by a Buffalo, Wyoming artist. This must change. I am convinced that if people see our state in a movie, they will come to visit.
As a lifelong Wyoming resident, I know how lucky I have been to live in a place of community, great outdoor recreation, abundant wildlife, western history and inspiring scenery. I am convinced that when people visit Wyoming, they also become inspired. We are supporting Wyoming’s second biggest industry when we work to keep travel and tourism strong. And we are planting seeds with our visitors that often lead them to move here and relocate their businesses. It’s a win-win proposition when we make sure our tourism industry is thriving.