Visit Jackson Hole Launches as Wyoming’s First Destination Management and Marketing Organization

JACKSON, WY — Visit Jackson Hole (VJH) is fully staffed since becoming Wyoming’s first destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) on July 1, 2026.

A DMMO oversees management, marketing, development, and stewardship for a destination to balance the economic benefits of tourism with the needs of the community and the environment. The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board’s decision to form Visit Jackson Hole, later affirmed by local electeds, ensures that the work that has grown out of 2023’s Sustainable Destination Management Plan (SDMP) will be better managed. The SDMP, a roadmap toward the long-term health of our valley, remains Visit Jackson Hole’s guide to managing tourism and shifting to a DMMO model creates the capacity needed to best steward the destination.

The story of what Jackson Hole is and what we care about will continue being told by the people who live here. Repositioning Visit Jackson Hole into a DMMO has allowed its volunteer board to delegate work to a full-time professional team whose 7 members have collectively spent decades in the valley instead of formerly contracted positions. As tourism continues to grow in the valley, the shift brings our work closer in line with world class destinations around the world. Visit Jackson Hole staff have moved into new East Jackson office space and committed to Team Values which promote a strong culture of integrity, accountability, and respect.

“Keeping Jackson Hole wild takes more than a good campaign. This shift in our structure lets our team manage tourism the way our community expects. Our 2023 Sustainable Destination Management Plan laid the foundation for tourism to be a force for good here, and I’m proud and excited to build on that work with a team that cares for this place as both our home and a world-class destination.”

— Crista Valentino,
Executive Director, Visit Jackson Hole

The 7-member appointed volunteer Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board (JHTTB) now operates as the Visit Jackson Hole Board (VJHB). The change is meant to bring the board in line with the newly formed DMMO which it leads. Recently, local electeds appointed John Beye to the Board. At a September 2026 Board retreat, VJHB members recommitted to the group’s mission and vision, directing staff to uphold it.

Mission: Through strategic allocation of Teton County’s lodging tax funds, we steward Jackson Hole toward a sustainable destination, where our leadership works to ensure the vitality of our natural, cultural and economic resources.

Vision: Jackson Hole is a wild and resilient destination where the community, economy, and natural ecosystems simultaneously thrive.

“The Visit Jackson Hole board has always centered the long-term health of this valley, and that isn’t changing. Forming Visit Jackson Hole as a DMMO allows us to better guide tourism’s ebbs and flows in the valley. It’s a milestone that reflects years of work.”

— Sam Pope,
Chair, Visit Jackson Hole

About Visit Jackson Hole

Visit Jackson Hole is the destination marketing and management organization for Teton County, Wyoming. Through strategic allocation of Teton County’s lodging tax funds, we steward Jackson Hole toward a sustainable destination, where our leadership works to ensure the vitality of our natural, cultural and economic resources.

Lodging Tax

In the State of Wyoming, a 5% lodging tax is collected on every visitor’s hotel, motel, and rental property stays; 3% is managed by the Wyoming Office of Tourism, and 2% stays in the associated county. In Teton County, 60% of these local funds are managed by the VJHB for destination marketing, visitor education, events, and other tourism-related initiatives as outlined in the Wyoming State Statutes. The remaining 40%  is managed by the Town of Jackson and Teton County, primarily to mitigate the impacts of tourism on infrastructure and services. See data and reports for the latest lodging tax collections.