Council endorses Travel & Tourism sustainable destination management plan

Jackson Town Council on Sept. 15 unanimously endorsed the Travel and Tourism Board’s Sustainable Destination Management Plan, a multi-year strategy the board and Destination Stewardship Council have used to coordinate tourism-related actions across public agencies and private stakeholders.

Crystal Valentino, executive director of the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board (TBB), described the 72‑page SDMP and a shorter public “snapshot” that lists five pillars — natural environment, quality of the economy and work, quality of life, quality of visitor experience and foundations of success — with outcome goals and key performance indicators for each. Valentino said the snapshot is an entry point and the full plan contains priority actions, assigned organizations and implementation detail.

Councilors asked how responsibility, authority and enforcement would work in practice. Valentino and TBB supporters said the plan was designed as a shared, community document implemented through working groups and the Destination Stewardship Council rather than a top-down enforcement mechanism. Rick Howe, president and CEO of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce and a council member of the Destination Stewardship Council, told the council that the plan’s value is in coordinating stakeholders and aligning priorities, and pointed to the SDMP’s role during recent bridge construction communications.

Councilors expressed general support for the TBB’s implementation approach and noted the plan’s potential overlap with upcoming town land-use and comprehensive plan work. Councilor Beaman moved and Councilor Schechter seconded the motion to endorse the SDMP; the vote was unanimous.

What’s next: Endorsement signals full council support for the SDMP as a guiding document; TBB and stewardship partners will continue priority-action work and return to council as indicators and implementation steps warrant.