Connect with us

News

Coronavirus Impact on Tourism Not Known at This Time

Avatar photo

Published

on

It’s too soon to tell whether an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus in China will have an affect on this year’s tourism in Sheridan County.

Shawn Parker, who’s executive director of Sheridan County Travel and Tourism, said this is the low season for tourism in the area.

Parker said Sheridan gets multiple bus tours coming through every day during the summer tourist season, and a lot of the larger hotels accommodate multiple group travel daily. A lot of those, he added, are international.

Parker said tourists from China are a huge component of visitors to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. He said Sheridan County sees a lot of summer tourists from Europe, Western Europe in particular, with few numbers of tourists from Asia.

Parker says the big season for tourists is during the summer. (Photo from Sheridan Media files)

Coronavirus is one of the viruses associated with the common cold, but the new coronavirus was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 1,000 confirmed cases have been reported in China, and additional cases have been identified in other locations including Washington, California, Arizona and Illinois in the U.S.

11 Comments

11 Comments

  1. Avatar photo

    Dennis Fox

    April 6, 2020 at 3:02 pm

    We will greet tourist with a new 15% Total Sales/Tourism tax. We could have had a friendly 5% total tax in the county had we not re-imposed the Mandatory One Percent and Not extended the tourism tax, county-wide in 2018. (both at Parker’s behest) Then when the last legislature ADDED an Additional 5% State Tourism tax, we were buried under the total new 15% Tourism Tax. Now that’s a fine Howdy-Do. Say good-bye to tourism in Wyoming!

    • Avatar photo

      mark steingass

      April 6, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      Dennis…didn’t you jump on the bandwagon the last time you ran for commissioner endorsing the lodging tax?…I believe you did…if you did you shouldn’t have it both ways

      • Avatar photo

        Dennis Fox

        April 7, 2020 at 3:43 pm

        I absolutely DID NOT support the Tourism tax. It’s an abomination that steals from local business owners and employees. I’ve opposed almost ALL taxes since I helped abolish the Food Tax back in 2003-2006. For the record: I opposed and helped defeat the 2013 property tax hike. I oppose the Mandatory One Percent, too. Taxes are theft. Plain and simple. I hope that clears up your confusion.

        • Avatar photo

          mark steingass

          April 8, 2020 at 8:28 am

          dennis…thanks for your clarification….although our forefathers hated taxes imposed by the english government we all know what those same founding fathers ended up doing…imposing taxes…because they soon figured out there needs to be a remedy to pay for the operation of government and the needs of the population…(lol)

          • Avatar photo

            Dennis Fox

            April 8, 2020 at 4:10 pm

            Exactly right and now that we can vote out high-tax, big gov’t socialist politicians, we shoulodl do so. We cannot deficit spend and income redistribute our way to success. That will become increasingly clear as we enter this economic downturn. If we keeping electing socialist and RINO’s we’ll plunge into the next recession or worse. Be Well and stay safe.

        • Avatar photo

          Strom

          April 8, 2020 at 8:42 am

          How does the tourism tax “steal” from business owners and employees? Call what you will but I believe the money charged for a service or products the money from the service/product goes to the business (they still get their money) and everything beyond that goes to the government entity. Then the government money goes to help fund the populous and helps keep our state and county going. I like the idea of funding things like Wydot and education. If a person is opposed to taxes like the 1% optional sales and see most taxes as theft I certain hope they do not use things funded by those taxes. Things like medicare, tax funded roads, Sheridan County Library, walking paths, Sheridan County roads funded by 1% tax monies and other such items. Then I would find your argument that taxes are theft, which I gather means taxes are bad, not as confusing.

          • Avatar photo

            Dennis Fox

            April 8, 2020 at 4:05 pm

            The tourism tax transfers, by force, money that would have stayed here locally. Money that is taxed away to Cheyenne is NOT available to the business owner, her employees or other local businesses. All taxes are theft, because all taxes are collected by force. Either implied force if you comply or Applied force if you do not. In a free country like America we should minimize the use of forced taxation as much as possible. Voluntary action is always better than forced compliance. Always! As for medicare, I paid into it, so I’ll collect it. Road taxes, which almost doubled a few yrs. ago, and collected with each gallon of gas pumped, pay for my road use. The one percent mandatory tax has become a slush fund doled out by politicians to favored groups, in exchange for their votes. Quid pro quo, sheridan-style. I might suggest some basic study of economics with a focus on the beautiful benefits of the free market v. the dangers of the income redistribution of Socialism.

      • Avatar photo

        Dennis Fox

        April 7, 2020 at 3:45 pm

        I have always opposed the Tourism tax. State, local and county imposed tourism taxes are bad for business. Always!

  2. Avatar photo

    Mike Kuzara

    April 7, 2020 at 10:26 am

    People who chose a vacation destination don’t usually check on tourist taxes. It’s pretty much a given that any place you go has them. That doesn’t seem to be a deterrent. However, I have had several cancellations for tours. because of the covid19 scare.

    • Avatar photo

      Dennis Fox

      April 8, 2020 at 4:16 pm

      You are correct Mr. Kuzara. But when they see that the Wyoming tourism tax has now almost tripled….will they think twice about coming back. Increasing taxes always have unintended consequences. Parker was on the radio selling this local tourism tax to us in 2018 by comparing our low tax to Conneticut’s 13% tax. Well now we have a 15% total tourism tax to slap our visitors with. Might they well stay home next year if it costs just as much to stay home?

    • Avatar photo

      Dennis Fox

      April 8, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      And speaking of taxes. Did you know the legislature just made the 5 th percent sales tax Permanent! That’s Right. No more voter input. It’s just mandatory now. Guess our rules got tired of asking for our permission. So much for self-gov’t and taxation With representation. Doesn’t seem to do much good. I’m ready to vote these high-tax, big-gov’t socialist into retirement.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *