Tourism employs thousands in Casper

CASPER (WNE) — The figures have been crunched, the totals tallied: The economic impact report for Natrona County in 2023 is in. The county saw 831,500 visitors for a total of 1,935,800 overnight stays last year, according to Visit Casper.

There were 2,893 jobs generated by travel in the county last year as travelers spent $375.2 million and stayed an average of two days, it reported.

The millions spent by travelers brought in $18.3 million in state and local taxes.

Wyoming has bounced back to preCOVID travel and tourism numbers, director of marketing and communications Wayne Stewart said in an interview with the Star-Tribune.

Casper “had slightly more visitors year over year, spending was up 4.6% compared to 2022 [and there were] more full-time and part-time jobs,” he said.

For additional context, he added the amount that every resident in Natrona County would have to write as a check if the county didn’t get the tourism that it did in 2023 was $541.

And 2024 is shaping up to be just as good, if not better, Stewart said. Already, monthly lodging taxes have set records this year.

The 2,893 jobs supported by travelers in 2023 were a “very broad overview” of jobs in the hospitality realm — everything from car rental shop employees to baristas at coffee shops to a hotel front desk clerk – basically any employee who could interact with a tourist.

There’s not a concrete answer as to why people stay in the county for only two days, Stewart said, other than the fact that Casper is usually a get-gas-and-a-snack stop for many travelers. Getting those weekend travelers to stay for longer periods of time is another key part of Visit Casper’s outreach.

This story was published on May 16, 2024.