JACKSON — Tourists cite the unique character and feel of Jackson Hole, specifically its pristine environment and feeling of wildness, as positive aspects of their trips, according to visitor surveys.
Overall, “people had a really good experience here,” researcher Dan McCoy told the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board on Thursday.
McCoy leads the University of Wyoming’s outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality initiative, which conducted the survey as part of Teton County’s Sustainable Destination Management Plan.
Eight hundred and twenty-eight visitors filled out surveys during one three-week session in winter and one six-week period in summer. Respondents were primarily overnight visitors (94%), who were equally split between first-time guests and repeat visitors.
While 92% reported being “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with their experience, not all respondents left glowing comments. Survey results also listed cost and lack of parking options as top complaints, McCoy said.
One respondent said Jackson felt like Los Angeles, writing that the area “seems to have lost culture” and felt new and fake. Another encouraged the county to ramp up bus services. Too many cars led to a dangerous feel while biking, the visitor said.
The survey also focused on measuring the effectiveness of Teton County’s “responsible visitation” messaging like keeping distance from wildlife. McCoy identified expanding reach of that messaging as an area where the county can improve.
Most respondents did not notice messages focused on maintaining distance from wildlife and the availability of buses and shuttles.
“Didn’t see it or hear about it (responsible visitation)!! Post it. Put it in hotel lobbies,” one respondent wrote.
McCoy qualified that visitors might not understand exactly what responsible visitation messaging looks like. He said he drove in from Kelly and saw a sign about looking out for wildlife on the road and didn’t know if everyone would recognize that as “responsible messaging.”
Generally, visitors do think this type of messaging is necessary, and 89% support the county in educating tourists on traveling responsibly.
Visitors weren’t just pleased because of great powder skiing, either, the results found.
McCoy said surveyors gathered results early last winter, a time period when Jackson Hole saw limited snowfall.
“Visitor satisfaction is more than just the weather,” the survey finds. High levels of satisfaction speak to overall “quality of experience.”
“This high level of satisfaction speaks to the quality of the experience provided in Jackson Hole and that visitor satisfaction is more than just the weather,” the survey’s conclusion reads. “It is comprised of things like the unique character of Jackson Hole, its friendly residents, natural beauty and quality hospitality businesses.”
The average respondent was 45 years old, but the largest single group fell in the 18- to 29-year-old age range. A majority was white and had a household income over $100,000. On average, visitors who took the survey stayed about a week in the area.
More than half got around using their own car, about a third got a rental car and only about 5% relied on transit. More than a third flew into the Jackson Hole Airport.
Visitors were both likely to return and likely to tell their friends and family about Jackson, the survey found. Many learned about the area using social media, the Visit Jackson Hole website and travel magazines.
An analysis of the results identified three main areas that the Travel and Tourism Board should concentrate on, which were price, the value for money of visiting Jackson Hole and parking.
The four biggest concerns visitors raised were the “expensiveness of Jackson Hole,” “cost of accommodations,” “tourism’s impact on local resident quality of life” and “people’s impact on wildlife,” the survey said. Respondents rated these as small to moderate problems.
Tourism continues to grow in Jackson Hole, with the county collecting more than $6.5 million in lodging tax in 2022, a 36% increase from 2021, according to the Travel and Tourism Board.
Local News
Comments / 0