Lodging Tax Bill Would Fund Wyoming Tourism Office

The Wyoming House of Representatives passed a Statewide Lodging Tax bill last week, which could mean a hike in prices for lodging properties in Park County.

Introduced by the Joint Revenue Interim Committee, House Bill 66 removes funding of the Wyoming Office of Tourism from the General Fund and creates what supporters call a more stable funding source.  House Bill 66 would institute a 5% statewide lodging tax, with 3% being diverted to a Wyoming Tourism Account and the remaining 2% going back to local communities as a replacement for a portion of the local option lodging taxes in each county or municipality.

Claudia Wade with the Park County Travel Council says the tax would be 85% paid by visitors to the area.

Because Park County currently imposes a four percent lodging tax, Wade says visitors would be paying eleven percent tax at lodging properties here. However, she points out that compared to other parts of the country, that’s still very low.

Based on the fiscal note provided by the Legislative Service Office, visitors to the state alone would generate nearly $16.6 Million for the Office of Tourism.

The legislature has made similar moves in the past few years to help fund the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming Department of Transportation.