Following are some updates from the Wind River Visitors Council.
Wind River Visitors Council Strategic Plan Planning Day
On October 11 the Wind River Visitors Council had a strategic plan planning day. The Board of Directors and Executive Director worked with Young Strategies and Rudloff Solutions to create initiatives for its new five-year plan, which kicks off on January 1, 2025. The plan is currently in draft form.
Resident Sentiment Survey
The Wind River Visitors Council is in the early stages of putting together a resident sentiment survey. This survey will examine public perceptions of tourism, including economic development, environmental impacts, over-tourism, quality of life and other areas. This type of research will provide the Wind River Visitors Council with an opportunity to create a well-informed engagement strategy with local residents on the subject of tourism.
Discover Dubois
This TravelStorys audio tour consists of 10 locations, most of which can be walked to from the downtown Dubois area. Each site has a three-minute recording. Four seniors in the outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality program at the University of Wyoming worked with the Wind River Visitors Council on this project as their spring “capstone” project. The tour had a soft launch (with eight stories) on October 16. Check it out HERE.
Podcast
Have you listened to the Wind River Visitors Council’s podcast, Wyoming’s Wind River Country: Yellowstone’s Unique Neighbor? The most recent episode takes the listener on a tour of Riverton’s haunted history with well-known tour guide, Alma Law. New episodes air on the fourth Thursday of every month. November’s episode airs on Thanksgiving, and it explores the local food scene in Wind River Country.
Powwow Video
The Wind River Visitors Council is creating a video about powwows. This informative and fun video dives into the powwow circuit, focusing specifically on the powwows and the people of the Wind River Indian Reservation. The video is titled “Celebration: Powwow on the Wind River Indian Reservation.” A first draft has been created, and the final video should be released this fall.
Wayfinding Signage in Dubois, Lander and Riverton
This Destination Development Program project puts attractive signage throughout Dubois, Lander and Riverton. A committee of 10 people, with representation from each community, worked with a contractor to create a strategic plan for this signage. The signage will have a unified look, while also representing each community’s unique personality. The project will be completed in summer 2025.
An Expansion of the Art Banner Project in Hudson and Riverton
This is another Destination Development Program project. Several new art banners are now on display in Hudson and Riverton. Keep an eye out as additional banners are put up.
Conferences
Last month, Helen Wilson took two Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) courses, “Destination Advocacy and Community Relations” and “Human Resources and Culture Transformation.” She then attended Destination International’s Advocacy Summit. Later this fiscal year, Helen will be at the Governor’s Hospitality & Tourism Convention and International Roundup (IRU). In addition, she’ll be attending the Board Leadership Symposium with Chair, Owen Sweeney and one other Wind River Visitors Council Board Member.
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? Please send any events or packages to community@windriver.org. We can also get you Wind River Visitors Council publications (the Vacation Guide, 7 Self-Guided Driving Tours, a self-guided map of the Wind River Indian Reservation and the Wind River Indian Reservation self-guided mobile audio tour rack card), as well as provide you with the Wind River Visitors Council’s calendar of events for distribution in your newsletter, publication, news source, etc.
Board Meeting
The next Wind River Visitors Council Board Meeting is Thursday, November 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Shoshoni Senior Center, 214 E 2nd Street, Shoshoni. Wind River Visitors Council meetings are open to the public.
About the Wind River Visitors Council
The Wind River Visitors Council, a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), 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.
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% 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 Lander Chamber of Commerce; the City of Riverton; and the Towns of Dubois, Hudson and Shoshoni to market the communities. Marketing efforts may include events, grants, educational programs and more.
The Wind River Visitors Council’s mission is to stimulate tourism by increasing awareness of, and encouraging visitation to, the unique destinations, activities and events in Wind River Country.