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Tourism director touts 'Mavericks Wanted' success and outlines visitor-management, pilot and budget plans
Summary
Dominic Bravo, executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, told the Joint TRW Committee the 'Mavericks Wanted' campaign and spring bookings are driving visitor spending; he outlined a proposed visitor-management system, pilot data projects and potential supplemental budget priorities while cautioning that formal amounts await Budget Department instructions.
Dominic Bravo, executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, told the Joint Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee on Wednesday that Wyoming recorded $5 billion in visitor spending in 2025 and that spring bookings this year are outpacing last year.
Bringing the committee a short marketing piece before his remarks, Bravo said the 'Mavericks Wanted' campaign — unveiled in late March — has lifted social metrics well above benchmarks and attracted national attention. "We set 5 billion in visitor spend for 2025 and we're on par to do something very similar this year," he told members, citing strong April performance and USA Today coverage.
Why it matters: tourism-generated lodging-tax revenue underpins destination-development grants and marketing the state uses to drive local economic activity. Bravo said the office operates from the lodging tax, not general fund, and that for every $1 invested they now see roughly a 12-to-1 return into communities.
New data and a pilot approach
Bravo described a multi-agency visitor-management concept he plans to develop with Wyoming Game and Fish, State Parks and Cultural Resources, WYDOT and Homeland Security. The goal is to provide near‑real‑time data and in-market messaging to encourage visitors to shift among sites, reduce localized congestion and drive economic benefits to lesser-known communities.
"We're going to try to actually do an RFI," Bravo said, explaining staff are preparing a request for information to scope required capabilities. The first phase would be research and pilot projects to close data gaps, he said, adding that technologies under consideration include aggregated cell‑phone data and AI tools.
Bravo highlighted Mindtrip, an AI itinerary tool on the tourism site, and discussed possible partnerships that could deliver connectivity or content in remote areas. He described exploring creative partnerships (including an example involving Starlink) where visitors could receive curated information while on location.
Large events, partnerships and targeted grants
The director urged the committee to consider tourism's role catalyzing large events that can reshape local economies, saying state leadership frequently acts as the initial catalyst before private promoters take over. Bravo said destination-development grants and the WyBest program help counties plan strategically; he noted every county has completed a WyBest plan and receives destination-development support.
On partnerships and match funding, Bravo cited a private $10 million pledge toward the Wyoming shooting-sports complex and said the office would consider budget help to secure matching funds.
Budget caveat and next steps
Bravo repeatedly cautioned that specific supplemental budget numbers are premature because the Budget Department has not issued budget instructions. "I may not talk about what amounts I'm putting in for, just more of that high-level idea," he said. He told the committee he expects to provide more detailed numbers at the September meeting in Jackson.
Committee reaction and public comment
Members expressed interest in the visitor-management RFI and offered to support a communication to appropriators. Representative Campbell asked how tourism is engaging on air-service restoration; Bravo said the office is working closely with WYDOT, the delegation and carriers and is considering project-side funding mechanisms tied to air-service incentives. Several members praised the destination-development program for leveraging modest seed grants into larger local investments.
Public commenters, including a representative of Casper and Director Glenn (State Parks and Cultural Resources), urged continued Team Wyoming support for rodeo events and other community bids. Patrick Sweeney, representing local efforts in Casper, asked the committee to favor supplemental funding that supports bids for the College National Finals Rodeo.
What happens next: the Office of Tourism will proceed with its RFI and pilot planning and return to the committee in fall with more detailed budget proposals and pilot scopes. The committee expressed informal interest in sending letters of support to appropriators and asked to be kept updated on RFI timelines.
