Your newsletter for things that are happening in the tourism and hospitality industry throughout the state.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FALL HOSPITALITY & TOURISM SUMMIT
 
 
 
 
 
OCTOBER 19-20, 2022
Casper, Wyoming, Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center
 
Registration is open and we can't wait to see you at this year's Fall Hospitality and Tourism Summit!

While we put the finishing touches on the agenda, please plan on arriving early afternoon for the WHTC and Wyoming Office of Tourism Board Meetings (if applicable) and an awesome evening welcome reception at David Street Station on Wednesday, October 19.

We are finalizing a tremendous all-day agenda Thursday, October 20 focused on Building Promotion and Visitor Ready Communities and Bolstering Business Through Public Policy. The conference will conclude with a dinner banquet and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon (invited.)

Room Block Now Available!
Please call 307-266-6000 and reference "Fall Summit" for the special room rate.
 
 
 
 
 
New U.S Travel Association's Dashboards

Recovery and Growth Insights Dashboard

U.S. Travel members have access to the exclusive Recovery and Growth Insights Dashboard, the most comprehensive and centralized source for high-frequency intelligence on the U.S. travel industry and the broader economy.
 
DMO Digital Performance Dashboard

In collaboration with Simpleview, the U.S. Travel Association's Destinations Council has created the DMO Digital Performance Dashboard.
 
 
WOT hosts domestic trade familiarization tour highlighting the Bighorn Basin.

“Wow, I had no idea there was so much in this area.” Those words seemed to be the overwhelming sentiment as 9 tour operators representing 7 different group travel companies spent the week of August 21st touring much of the Bighorn basin. The familiarization tour was able to highlight Cody as a great gateway to Yellowstone, offering access to 2 entrances. They were able to spend time at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, learn about the agriculture tours, malt industry and try some local craft beer in Powell before exploring the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the town of Lovell and Cowley. Next up was the scenic drives of both HWY 14A and 14, along with great pie and Shell Falls, before visiting Shell and Greybull. From there they were immersed in the history of the area by visiting Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site, the Washakie Museum & Cultural Center, Hot Springs State Park, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site, along with taking a float through the Windriver Canyon. Of course they experienced many great local meals, treats and surprises along the way. It was a jam packed week, but the fruits of it are already paying off as 2 companies are already working on Mystery Tour itineraries for 2023 in the area and the others are looking at new options to existing itineraries. If you have any questions or interest in being a part of future familiarization tours for the domestic trade, please feel free to reach out to Amy Larsen at amy.larsen@wyo.gov.
 
 
WOT hosts international familiarization tour

The Global Partnerships team hosted the international representatives through The Great American West during the week of September 12th for a FAM around the state. Overall, there were seven international reps. and two members from the Rocky Mountain International team, who explored the destinations of Laramie, Saratoga, Lander, Thermopolis, Lovell, Sheridan, Casper, and Cheyenne, with many pit stops and pictures along the way. The reps. left the FAM feeling inspired and eager to showcase Wyoming to their in-market Tour Operators and to increase Wyoming product offerings.
 
 
International Roundup early registration opened September 21, 2022

Early registration opened September 21, 2022, for the 2023 International Roundup event in Boise, Idaho, April 23-26. We anticipate high demand for the show with travel coming back with a bang, so you'll want to reserve your spot at this discounted rate!
 
 
 
Additional Upcoming Travel Trade Shows and Sales Missions

  • Nov 13-17, 2022- NTA TREX, Reno Nevada
  • Jan 30-Feb 3, 2023- Brand USA Mexico Sales Mission
  • Feb 4-7, 2023- ABA Marketplace, Detroit
  • Feb 12-15, 2023- IITA Summit, California
  • Feb 27- Mar 2, 2023- Go West Summit, Anchorage
  • Mar 20-24, 2023- Brand USA India Sales Mission
  • Mar 28-Apr 1, 2023- NTA Contact, Cheyenne
  • May 20-24, 2023- IPW, Texas

For more information on the domestic trade shows, contact Amy Larsen at amy.larsen@wyo.gov
For more information on the international trade shows and sales missions, contact Jim Wollenburg at jim.wollenburg@wyo.gov

 
 
Media & Press Summary: August 2022
 
 
 
Please note the ‘Top Media Placements’ and ‘Earned Media’ include coverage that is a direct result of the Wyoming Office of Tourism’s (WOT) efforts, while “Wyoming in the News” is coverage that cannot be directly tracked back to the PR program.
 
 
August 2022
*This includes domestic media coverage only
Reach: 849,968,492
Placements: 60
 

International Year-to-Date Coverage
Reach: 469,698,866
Total Placements: 83

 
 
Fiscal Year-to-Date
*Domestic media coverage through Month YYYY and international media coverage through Month YYYY
Reach: 3,586,709,843
Placements: 156
 
 
Top Media Placements

From renown treasures to hidden gems, AFAR writer Anna Fiorentino explored all facets of Wyoming in a detailed piece entitled “National Parks, Hot Springs and the Great American Frontier: The Ultimate Wyoming Road Trip,” highlighting how “one of the best ways to visit Wyoming is to hit the open road.” Anna captured the epic beauty of must-sees like Medicine Bow National Forest, Vedauwoo, Grand Teton National Park and Shoshone National Forest, while shining a light on delectable culinary finds including Sweet Melissa Café in Laramie and Bella’s Bistro in Saratoga. In addition to a detailed account of the wildlife in Yellowstone National park, she gave suggestions on where to stay while visiting different areas of the state, from the Historic Plains Hotel in the Southeast to the Irma Hotel in the Northwest, and cited a few of Wyoming’s most beloved annual events, including Cheyenne Frontier Days in July and the Laramie County Fair in August.

Wyoming made a bevy of notable travel round-ups throughout the month of August, many of which saw syndication. Highlighting Wyoming’s wild west experiences, USA Today added Cody to its list of “Labor Day Weekend Travel with the Kids: 8 Spots to Hit Across the US.” The story was also syndicated Family Vacationist and Our Community Now. Evie Carrick at Buzzfeed added Astoria Hot Springs in Jackson Hole as one of the “15 Most Beautiful Hot Springs in the US to Visit this Summer and Beyond,” commenting about the spot’s five natural hot spring-fed pools that are set along the scenic Snake River. The article also ran in Yahoo! Auto. Another widely syndicated story ran in Simplemost and featured The Lodge and Spa at Brush Creek Ranch as one of the “5-Tech Free Vacation Ideas to Help Families Unplug,” finding its way into 17 additional publications.
The Wyoming Dinosaur Center garnered attention in August in AAA as writer, Laura Kiniry included it as a noteworthy activity in Thermopolis in her piece “7 Scenic Drives in the West,” also recommending a visit to Hot Springs State Park. Kathryn Romeyn at Everymom highlighted the Dinosaur Center as one of “11 Trips to Put on Your Family’s Bucket List.” Kathryn wrote about the hands-on Dig for a Day program and went on to include other Jurassic sites in Wyoming, like the family-friendly Fossil Safari in Kemmerer.
Finally, the National Military Museum of Vehicles made headlines again in both a Boston Globe travel round-up and in the Frommer’s story “Huge Collection of Military Vehicles Now on Display Near Yellowstone,” from writer Zac Thompson, who provided readers with the backstory of Dan Starks and went on to discuss Starks’ “enormous collection of tanks, helicopters, fighter jets and such.”
 
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Welcome Lisa Osvold.

WOT would like to welcome Lisa Osvold as the Director of Strategy and Business Operations. Lisa comes to us with an extensive background in strategic planning and operational management within state government.

Her most recent position was Senior Administrator for the Wyoming State Department of Health where she was responsible for developing and administering a four-year state plan advocating for
 
Wyoming's older adults and their caregivers. Before that, she served as the Deputy Director for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services for over ten years. Lisa has a Masters of Business Administration from the Colorado Technical University and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wyoming. She formerly served in the U.S. Army practicing social work. We are lucky to have her on our team!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Industry Relations Manager
 
 
Congratulations Amy!
 
The National Tour Association (NTA) Nominating Committee recently announced the 2023 slate of candidates for the NTA Board of Directors. After vetting the applications, conducting interviews with each applicant, and considering the applicants’ qualifications, the committee composed the following slate:
 
· Vice Chair: Fraser Neave, CTP, Wells Gray Tours
· Secretary: Monique van Dijk-Seppola, Scandinavia Tours
· DMO director: (one-year term serving on Executive Committee): Amy Larsen, Wyoming Office of Tourism
· DMO director (three-year term): Katie Kirkland, Visit Tuolumne County
· Tour Supplier director (three-year term): Lois Stoltzfus, Dutchman
Ballots will be distributed to NTA members in October and the 2023 NTA Board officially will be announced during Travel Exchange, Nov 13-17, 2022 in Reno, NV.

This is a great opportunity not only for Amy, but to continue to keep Wyoming at the forefront of the packaged travel industry.
 
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
 
 
 
 
 
Industry Relations Manager
 
 
Amy Larsen
 
Industry Relation Manager
Phone: (307) 777-6706
 
 

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