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Tourism board eyes foreign visitors
By Anthony McConnell
This document was published online on Wednesday, April 02, 2008
This could be a strong year for international tourism in Cody.
“Many European travel agents are reporting record bookings for the 2008 season,” said Claudia Wade, marketing director of the Park County Travel Council. “We're looking for a busy international season.”
That'sx because of a weak U.S. dollar, which means Europeans have more money when they come to the U.S., she added.
“Coming to America is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many Europeans,” Wade said at a recent meeting.
And the PCTC is working to ensure part of that experience takes place in Park County.
“We're the most aggressive lodging tax board in the state when it comes to international tourism,” Wade said.
According to a 2006 survey (the most recent) by the Buffalo Bill Historical center about 7 percent of area visitors come from outside of the U.S.
To attract those visitors Wade recently traveled to Berlin, Germany, for the International Tourism Browse, a tourism industry trade show.
She was there with Rocky Mountain International (RMI), which markets Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and South Dakota in Europe. She has been attending the show for more than 10 years.
“Europeans take 3-4 weeks of vacation and travel within a region rather than staying in one destination,” Wade said. “It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack if we were to go after the international market without RMI.”
Americans typically take 1-2 week vacations and visit one destination, she said.
With the four states working together they are able to attract more visitors than if they were working alone. This allows Europeans to book vacations that include Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and destinations in Montana and Idaho, Wade added.
While Wyoming is a member of RMI, the PCTC is one of three associate members and this allows it to market the region separately from the state. Other associate members are Xanterra Parks & Resorts representing Yellowstone and Devil's Tower, and the city of Rapid City, S.D.
During the four days Wade was in Germany, she had about 50 meetings with various travel groups. It was one the show's busiest years, Wade said.
While, overall, the number of European and international tourists is small, it's an important and growing part of the market the PCTC will continue to pursue, she added.
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