Visit Casper Celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week

This week, Visit Casper is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), along with the recently released figures from 2021.

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In a press release, Amanda Scherlin, Director of Marketing for Visit Casper, said:

"The second-largest industry in Wyoming, travel is a powerful economic engine for Natrona County," Scherlin said. "Travelers continue to be drawn to Wyoming and our wide-open spaces, and this week gives us the opportunity to celebrate the far-reaching impact of tourism."

In 2021, Wyoming as a whole had an estimated 10.7 million overnight visitors who spent more than $4 billion throughout the state, generating $258 million in travel-generated taxes.

In Natrona County, travelers spent $285.1 million in 2021, generating $16.3 million in state and local taxes.

While the money travelers generated for Natrona County increased in 2021 compared to 2020, when it was $229 million, it is still below the pre-pandemic levels, when the county generated $331 million in 2019 from visitors into the county.

The same is true for the number of overnight visitors, which in 2021 was 620,000, compared to 530,000 in 2020, both still far below 2019, which recorded 964,000 visitors.

In Natrona County, the travel and tourism industry includes guided recreation, lodging accommodations, retail shops, food and drink, and gas stations, which account for 2,490 jobs in the county.

Scherlin said that because this year is the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park, it's a good opportunity to make Casper a place where visitors can stop on their way to the parks.

"We know that travelers are really looking to do some bucket list travel this year, so we know that's going to be a big year for Yellowstone National Park, so we are positioning Casper, and have been for the last few years, as a great destination to stop and spend some time, and experience Wyoming as your on your way to the national parks in Wyoming," Scherlin said. "That's really been successful for us and we will continue doing that as long as there's demand for national parks and outdoor recreation in Wyoming."