Industry Services Programs
REACH Award Winners Recognized,
National Travel and Tourism Week Celebrated
REACH (Rare and Exceptional Customer Service and Hospitality) awards
were held in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week on
May 9 in Evanston naming the top business and individuals for their
contributions to the tourism industry.
REACH award winners included Katherine Stauduhar from the Holiday
Inn Express-Gillette for Customer Service Employee of the Year;
Hampton Inn-Buffalo for Customer Service Organization of the Year;
Interactive Training Simulations in Jackson for Industry Partner of
the Year; and The Rockpile Museum in Gillette for
Destination/Attraction of the Year.
The 2nd Annual Statewide REACH Awardees represent the best of the
best in Customer Service and Hospitality in Wyoming. Their rare and
exceptional service is a primary reason Wyoming visitors have a
positive experience and want to return to Wyoming. Recognizing this
group help us set an even higher standard for service throughout
Wyoming,” says Shannon Stanfill, Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT)
Visit Services Manager.
Travel and Tourism is the second leading industry in Wyoming helping
the state provide 30,000 jobs and $730 million in employment
earnings in 2011. Each year the Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT) and
the U.S. Travel Association recognize the first full week of May as
National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW). Localized events are held
in cities, states and travel businesses nationwide to champion the
power of travel and highlight the importance of this industry to
local economies.
This year, NTTW was recognized during the week of May 5-13. The
week’s events kicked off in Cheyenne on Thursday, May 3 with a rally
at the capitol with Governor Matt Mead signing the NTTW
proclamation. Local industry workers gathered in the Rotunda of
their capital to help demonstrate the power of travel. Similar
events were held in Lusk, Gillette, Rawlins, Evanston and Jackson
and included proclamation signings with local mayors and legislators
and receptions to recognize all local frontline hospitality workers.
For more information on this year’s REACH Award recipients or to get
involved next year, please visit the WOT industry website at
www.wyomingofficeoftourism.gov, or contact Shannon Stanfill at
Shannon.stanfill@wyo.gov.
Additional resources can also be found through the U.S. Travel
Association website at
www.ustravel.org.
Tourism Week Proclaimed
Wyoming Governor Matt Mead yesterday proclaimed May
5-12 National Tourism Week at a ceremony in the State Capitol
rotunda. Mead said his latest budget included extra money for
tourism marketing because he knows there is a “great return on our
investment.”
The Governor also noted the important role tourism plays in
attracting new businesses to the state as many people he recruits
first see Wyoming as tourists. “They get out and meet people and
experience that warm Wyoming welcome and it draws them back.”
Diane Shober, state tourism director, called tourism “big business”
for Wyoming and said 80 percent of the total tourism revenue comes
from non-residents. “That is new money being pumped into cash
registers of Wyoming businesses and helping to employ Wyoming
people,” Shober said.
The cooperation among three tourism-focused entities – the private
sector, government and local communities – was cited as a unique
contributor to Wyoming’s success.
“You will not find that kind of
relationship anywhere else in the country,” said Lynn Birleffi,
executive director of the Wyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association.
“In this state, people stick together. We train people together and
share resources. Each sector pushes the other to do even better,”
she added.
Tourism is Wyoming’s second-leading industry creating nearly 30,000
jobs and generating $2.8 billion in travel expenditures annually.
A booklet,
Northeast Wyoming Welcome Center, a gateway to Wyoming off I-90
Ground
Breaking of
Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center
March 30, 2011
Turnout Inventory
Report Available
The final Roadside Turnout Inventory
report is now available for download. The study was conducted in
partnership with the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT)
and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to evaluate the
turnout and sign inventory along Wyoming highways. The study was
conducted in two phases. Phase I focused on inventorying existing
roadway turnout sites selected from the SHPO Monuments and Markers
database and Game and Fish sites. A total of 217 sites were analyzed
from an engineering, safety and signage perspective. Phase II
focused on identifying and researching key areas of Wyoming which
may be considered for future interpretive turnouts. As a result, 23
sites have been recommended for consideration and do not constitute
approved projects. The study will assist each agency to enhance the
visitor experience, to identify areas in need of improvement, and to
guide funding of future projects. It will also supplement the
Tourism Master Plan.
Final
Report
How can our
community capitalize on our travel and tourism industry?
Certified Tourism Community (CTC) Program
A healthy tourism economy contributes to business sustainability and
strengthens the industry’s job and income generation capacity. To
achieve this goal, Wyoming Office of Tourism has partnered with the
Wyoming Rural Development Council (WRDC) to develop the CTC Program.
The CTC program is the next step of the WRDC Community Assessment
process. WOT will administer the program for communities by
providing at no charge training, information, research assistance,
referral services, and technical assistance to communities
throughout the state.
The tourism assessment is the first step of the CTC process. Travel
and tourism must be identified as an economic development priority
as a result of your community assessment prior to applying to the
program. WOT will accept two or three communities per year and work
with your local team to plan for the assessment and to conduct
pre-assessment activities. A WOT team will then conduct the tourism
assessment that consists of a site visit, discovery sessions, and a
town hall meeting. The WOT team will compile a tourism assessment
report based on information gathered prior to and during the
assessment. It will also provide recommendations and resources to
further develop your local travel and tourism industry.
Upon completion of the tourism assessment, your community will have
the option to proceed with certification or not. It will require a
two-year minimum commitment. The three tier-level process for
certification has incremental levels of requirements, technical
assistance and marketing benefits. Communities electing to proceed
with the CTC process will raise their level of destination marketing
by participating in WOT training and cooperative opportunities.
Receive priority consideration for grant dollars administered by WOT
and the Business Ready Community Program of the Wyoming Business
Council. The launch date of the program is fall 2011. Application
forms will be available in late summer 2011.
“Visitor friendly destinations are built mainly through local
commitment, initiative and follow-through.”
Contact
Kristin
Phipps
307.777.2887
