Park County lodging taxes continue to come in up slightly from last year’s totals, as a solid tourism season in Cody and a stellar year in Yellowstone have combined to make the uptick.

Lodging taxes were up 1.7% for September month to month, and up 2.42% for the year. 

Travel Council Executive Director Michael Wambolt told board members at the October meeting the results were as expected. 

“Things are feeling as good as they can feel,” he said. 

Cody Yellowstone’s marketing efforts have also been successful, Marketing Manager Katrina Southern said, noting that metrics have risen substantially across many marketing platforms as the organization works to spread the word about all the reasons people ought to visit the area.  

Visitation has also been surging in Yellowstone, said Xanterra General Manager Mike Keller, who also sits on the board. He said September visitation “broke every indicator” and even gas stations were up more than 9% for the month. 

“You may see a little bump out of Yellowstone from us,” he said. “We extended some properties in October, so you'll see it in the next report as well.”

He said over the last few years demand has risen in October, so this year the hotels extended further into the month to accommodate that increased demand. 

“We decided we'd lean into a little bit harder this year, and it's been successful,” he said. 

One caveat: Winter reservations are down slightly, he said, due to the lack of snow the park has received the last few years. He said while it has just snowed 10 inches in the park, that would likely all be melted quickly.