• Alpine to Kemmerer stops highlight visit for State Tourism Executive Director

The executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Domenic Bravo was impressed with the work already underway that he saw in a day-long tour of Lincoln County, April 22. The day started in Alpine and ended  in Kemmerer.

“What struck me first and honestly surprised me in the best way, was how much momentum is already on the ground,” he said following stops in six communities, including Alpine, Star Valley Ranch, Thayne, Afton, Cokeville and Kemmerer. The Afton stop included a chamber hosted luncheon at the civic center and Kemmerer an evening dinner at the training center.

“Alpine feels like a front door with mountain views that don’t quit” the director summarized. “Star Valley Ranch and Thayne have this quiet, lived-in authenticity that travelers are craving right now, less staged, and more real. Afton has energy; you can feel it on Main Street with new businesses, local pride, and that sense that something is building.”

He continued, “Cokeville carries a different kind of opportunity, space, story, and access to landscapes that still feel undiscovered. And Kemmerer/Diamondville — that’s where heritage and reinvention are starting to shake hands, between the fossil history, downtown character, and entrepreneurs leaning in, there’s a real spark there.”

Bravo added, “The common thread across all of them: trails and outdoor recreation out the back door, not a drive away. That’s gold. You don’t manufacture that, it’s already here.”

As for the potential of these communities and Lincoln County, he said it will take planning to bring the entire area together.

“The ceiling is higher than people think but it’s going to take alignment to reach it,” he projected. “The lowest-hanging fruit is simple and powerful: a county wide wayfinding system. Not piecemeal. Not town by town. Treat Lincoln County like one connected experience, one big, open-air destination.”

The director noted, “When a visitor doesn’t know where to go next, we lose them. When we guide them seamlessly from Kemmerer to Afton to Alpine, we extend stays, increase spending, and frankly, create a better experience.”

Bravo continued, “Beyond that, the real opportunity sits in collaboration. Lodging tax boards, chambers, towns, when they move together instead of parallel, that’s when you start punching above your weight. Regional storytelling, coordinated events, shared itineraries, that’s how you turn a pass-through into a place people plan for.”

He emphasized, “And here’s the part that matters most: you already have the leaders to do it. Passionate, capable folks who aren’t waiting for permission, they’re already moving the needle.

Looking ahead, Bravo counseled, “The future isn’t just about getting more people here, it’s about getting the right people here, at the right time, in the right places.”

He explained, “Western Wyoming is uniquely positioned for that. You’ve got the gravitational pull of places like Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, but the real opportunity is in what surrounds them. Communities like those in Lincoln County can absorb some of that pressure while offering something different: space, authenticity, and room to breathe.

He pointed to well organized programs as part of a successful plan. “We’re moving toward a world where visitor management matters as much as visitor attraction. Using better data, better storytelling, and better coordination, we can disperse use, protect what makes Wyoming special, and still grow the economy in a way that benefits residents,” he said. “That’s the future, less chaos, more choreography.”

The executive director concluded with specific points of advice.

“Tourism, at its best, isn’t just about heads in beds, it’s about pride in place,” he said. “It’s the small business owner who decides to take a risk on Main Street. It’s the trail that starts at the edge of town and ends in a story someone tells for the rest of their life. It’s communities realizing they don’t have to be something they’re not to compete, they just have to be more of who they already are. Lincoln County reminded me of that.”

Bravo offered, “You don’t need to go find tourism. It’s already here. The opportunity now is to shape it, intentionally, collaboratively, and in a way that ensures the people who call these places home benefit just as much as the people passing through. And, if we do it right, they won’t just pass through anymore.”