Wyoming Visitor Growth Attributed to State and Local Efforts

The State of Wyoming saw an increase in visitors by nearly five-percent for 2013. Preliminary numbers show 9.07 million people visiting the state last year, which is up from 8.67 million people in 2012.

Office of Wyoming Tourism- Executive Director, Diane Shober, says that visitation has grown significantly from just under ten years ago.

"We've seen a growth since 2005, of 31%," says Shober.  "That's an impressive growth over that time."

Shober is crediting the upswing in visitation to targeted spending and strategic messages by tourism offices on, not only the state level, but also the more localized city level, and the two working in tandem.

"Every place in the state.  They're really becoming much more sophisticated in their marketing efforts," Shober says.  Pointing out that the model favors targeted spending and spot-on creativity, lending itself to increased visitation.  "When we're collectively working in sync, that's what all contributes to this phenomenal growth in leisure travel to the state of Wyoming."

Shober goes on to say that local and state takes revenues generated from people visiting the state are up by nearly 11-and-a-half percent, reaching $143 million.

Further, she adds, that hospitality and tourism accounts for nearly 31,000 full and part time jobs in Wyoming.