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Sweetwater County tourism board reports rising lodging tax revenue, eyes indoor sports facility feasibility
Summary
Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism presented its 2024 annual report to the Green River City Council, reporting nearly $1.5 million in lodging-tax receipts, major event-driven economic impacts and a feasibility study underway for a proposed indoor sports facility.
Janissa Meredith, chief executive officer of Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism, told the Green River City Council the lodging tax generated about $1,500,000 in the last fiscal year and that revenue is trending upward.
Meredith said the lodging tax — a voter-approved 4% tax — must be spent on marketing, not on building attractions, and described how the board allocates its budget: roughly 79% for out-of-county marketing, 7% for event grants, 3% for chamber block grants, 3% for an events-complex block grant and 8% for administration.
The tax funds a year-round visitor center in Rock Springs and supports recruiting and hosting events that bring overnight visitors, Meredith said. She highlighted a state soccer event Sweetwater hosted in 2023 and 2024 that the board estimates produced about $6,000,000 in economic impact.
Meredith described other projects supported or pursued by the lodging-tax board: a three-phase wayfinding sign program in Rock Springs funded partly by the Wyoming Office of Tourism’s destination-development grants; a $100,000 grant from the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation to build visitor amenities at a rock-art site on the Wyoming side of Henry’s Fork; and ongoing partnerships with Downtown Rock Springs and regional media outlets.
On future projects, Meredith summarized a commissioned feasibility study for an indoor sports facility and said consultants will deliver further findings in April or May. She told the council local residents gave “very positive feedback” on the concept and that the consultants will compare regional markets, facility types, cost models and financing approaches.
Meredith also noted tourism-marketing metrics the board uses to measure return on investment: the board’s conversion study found its advertising influenced about $86,000,000 in visitor spending, about 59,000 visits, an average party size of 2.5 people and average trip spending of more than $1,500 per travel party. Meredith framed those figures as evidence the marketing program produces measurable visitation.
The presentation closed with an overview of resident outreach (a mailer encouraging locals to “rediscover” Rock Springs and Green River), the REACH frontline recognition program and the Certified Tourism Ambassador training that the office administers.
