Another wonderful year in Wind River Country!

The Wind River Visitors Council (WRVC) is excited to release its 2023 Annual Report. In order to keep Wind River Country’s busy summer months intact, the report is based on the 2023 calendar year, instead of the WRVC’s fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30.
2023 was, once again, a record-breaking year for lodging tax revenue, which came in at
$1,000,154.33.

The previous record was set in 2022 at $987,657.02. $233,863.98 was distributed back to Dubois, Hudson, Lander, Riverton and Shoshoni in the form of Tourism Asset Development (TAD) funds, which were used for numerous projects in each community. Please reach out if you’d like any additional information.

Special thanks to the Wind River Visitors Council’s staff and Board of Directors, as well as our partners throughout Wind River Country and all of Wyoming.

Helen Wilson, Executive Director
Wind River Visitors Council

TOURISM ASSET DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (TAD):
The purpose of the TAD program is to provide financial support to communities through the Fremont County lodging tax. The TAD program is a voluntary program that is unique to Wind River Country. The Wind River Visitors Council distributes 25 percent of the local lodging tax back to the communities in the percentage that they contribute to the lodging tax. Each community utilizes these funds to help them grow their tourism economy by investing in new or expanding existing tourism-related services, events, signage, facilities, attractions, points of interest and promotional activities. The goal is to increase visitor spending by encouraging visitors to stay longer in Wind River Country.

TAD Distributions in 2023:

The Destination Development Program was created in 2023 by the Wyoming Office of Tourism for Wyoming’s 27 local Lodging Tax Boards. The Wind River Visitors Council (Fremont County’s Lodging Tax Board) was one of the recipients.

Projects that have been completed as part of this program include:

• Two State marketing co-ops
• Advertising in the National Park Journal, Yellowstone
• Communication/meetings/graphic design supplies
• A video display in the Lander Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center
• A video profiling fly fishing
• A digital sign in Hudson

Projects that are in the works include:

• An expansion of the Art Banner Project in Hudson and Riverton
• A TravelStorys downtown Dubois walking tour
• Wayfinding signage in Dubois, Lander and Riverton
• An informational kiosk on the Wind River Indian Reservation

Highlights from 2023:
In addition to marketing to local, state, national and international audiences, the Wind River Visitors Council has also been involved in lots of projects. Some of these are highlighted below.

• Hosted a press trip titled “Winter in the Wilds of Wyoming”
• Presented at the Lander Chamber of Commerce Community Awards Luncheon and the Emerging Issues Forum: Outdoor Recreation
• Co-hosted the Inter-Tribal Tourism Summit
• Hosted the reception at the Wyoming Working Together Conference
• Hosted a seminar for local business owners on growing their online presence on Google
• Sponsored the Riverton Community Summer Kick-Off Party
• Provided support for the new “Scenic Loop Road in Wyoming’s Wind River Country: A Tour Guide and Road Log”
• Hosted a fall press trip
• Served on Wyoming’s State Shooting Complex Fremont County Committee
• Started working on an educational video about powwows on the Wind River Indian Reservation

For the full report, click here.

Wyoming’s best adventure starts in Wind River Country!

Visit our website for things to do, where to stay, trip planning, events, destinations and more!