JACKSON, Wyo. — With management from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board (JHTTB), tourism drives the economy, supports local businesses, funds infrastructure, provides for community safety and contributes to a sustainable destination.
Last fiscal year, tourism to Teton County, WY generated $1.7 billion in travel-generated spending, $46.9 million in travel-generated taxes and over 7,800 jobs. Through local collection of the lodging tax, travel to the region contributed over $2.7 million to transportation, $855,000 to Parks & Recreation, $455,000 to public safety, $150,000 to Fire and Emergency Medical Services and $800,000 to general community safety needs, infrastructure projects and public services.
In addition, through the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board’s management of lodging tax funds, tourism funded over $1 million to local partnerships advancing sustainable destination work in Teton County, over $1.6 million to community events, over $3 million to visitor outreach and education and over $1 million to visitor services and destination development. These partnerships and local allocations benefit the community by protecting our land and natural resources, bolstering the local economy and providing public services for residents.
In partnership with Friends of Bridger-Teton’s Ambassadors for Responsible Recreation Program, JHTTB funding contributed to zero human-caused wildfires on the landscape where volunteers were in place and zero human-caused wildlife deaths. In partnership with the Wyoming Office of Tourism and Teton County’s Regional Transportation Department, the JHTTB is working toward County-wide transportation solutions for visitors and residents. In partnership with the University of Wyoming, a tourism dashboard is being developed that measures and reports the impacts of tourism on the local community. And in partnership with 40 community events, the JHTTB helped drive over $9 million in lodging revenue and almost $2 million in additional economic spend.
In a public meeting on April 11, the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board updated its mission and vision statements to more accurately depict all that the Joint Powers Board does for the Jackson Hole community. The JHTTB envisions Jackson Hole as a wild and resilient destination where the community, economy and natural ecosystems simultaneously thrive. In a commitment to the community through the new mission statement, the JHTTB vows to steward Jackson toward a sustainable destination through strategic allocation of Teton County’s lodging tax funds.
The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, established in 2011 to promote Jackson Hole as a destination and support a vibrant year-round economy, continues to evolve its work based on the needs of the community. In Teton County, WY a 2% lodging tax is collected on all stays within the County, and the JHTTB is tasked with managing 60% of these funds for destination marketing and visitor education while the other 40% is managed by the Town and County for tourism-impacted infrastructure, public safety and more.
JHTTB MISSION: Through strategic allocation of Teton County’s lodging tax funds, we steward Jackson Hole toward a sustainable destination, where our leadership, marketing, management and community engagement ensure the vitality of our natural and human ecosystems.
JHTTB VISION: Jackson Hole is a wild and resilient destination where the community, economy, and natural ecosystems simultaneously thrive.
To learn more about all tourism does for the community, visit industry.visitjacksonhole.com. Sign up for the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board’s local newsletter for regular updates and funding opportunities.
