TORRINGTON – Torrington has been featured in a Forbes magazine article titled "People and Places That Make Wyoming a Special State to Visit." The article was written by Michael Goldstein, who was part of a group of tourism writers and influencers visiting a number of Wyoming towns as part of a tourism initiative by the Wyoming Office of Tourism. The feature includes a paragraph and a photo of Edzan Fluckinger at The Bread Doctor, along with mentions of Table Mountain Vineyards.

Articles like this are intended to bring positive attention to the state, potentially motivating people to visit Wyoming. While Goshen County may not have the advantage of established vacation destinations like national parks or ski slopes, it remains a popular travel stop for many, both from within Wyoming and from other states. 

Visitors often come for business at the Livestock Market or to attend various events, such as trap shooting tournaments. 

For example, the most recent Wyoming State Trap Shoot brought in over 100 shooters from other states, as well as a few from other countries. 

These visitors typically stay in local hotels, buy gas, snacks, and shop, or dine at local restaurants.

Tourism contributes significantly to both the local and state economies. Hospitality and tourism is the second-largest category of employment in Wyoming. Over 8 million visitors come to Wyoming annually, spending more than $4.5 billion each year. 

In 2022, Goshen County found that visitors spent $34.4 million, $400,000 of which was collected in local taxes. The impact of tourism in Goshen County is significant.

Not only does tourism spending help local restaurants and stores thrive, but the money spent by tourists also enables those businesses to reinvest in the community by providing jobs and payroll to local residents. As of 2022, tourism directly supports over 300 jobs and indirectly benefits many more.

Goshen County has found success in attracting tourists not only by promoting itself as a destination but also by positioning itself as a convenient stop for travelers on their way to other locations. For instance, someone heading to Sturgis for the motorcycle rally might stop in Torrington for the night, for lunch, or just for fuel. A family on a road trip might stop for the day at Fort Laramie on their way to Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain National Park. While visitors who stay for multiple days typically spend more, the sheer number of people who stop for a brief visit can have a similar positive economic effect. Unfortunately, many travelers don’t know to stop in Goshen County without targeted tourism efforts, like the article in Forbes.

The Goshen County Tourism Board has worked hard to spread the word, including advertising on international travel sites to attract tourists from countries outside the U.S. Additionally, over the past year, Go Goshen has updated its tourism materials and enhanced its online presence to directly attract visitors. The Forbes article was yet another opportunity to spread the word about everything Goshen County has to offer.

Moriah Harkins, Chamber Director at Go Goshen, explains that one of the most effective ways to bring visitors to Goshen County is by encouraging locals to “love where they live.” When local residents talk to visitors, recommend local hotels and restaurants, and encourage them to visit local attractions, they help drive business. This, in turn, supports job creation and increases tax revenue, benefiting all of Goshen County.

“People and Places That Make Wyoming a Special State to Visit,” by Michael Goldstein is available now on the Forbes website.