Dear Editor:

Park County Travel Council had over a $3 million marketing budget this year. I believe that at least 15% of the marketing budget should be spent on winter marketing directed at the local economy each year.

What I am not talking about is sending the winter visitor to West Yellowstone to travel into Old Faithful by snow coach to the Snow Lodge, which is in Teton County, or to fly into Bozeman, Montana, to stay at the Mammoth Hotel, even though Mammoth is in Park County.

What I am talking about is flying into Yellowstone Regional Airport; driving into Cody; ski touring or snowshoeing the Wood River; touring Meeteetse Museums; ice fishing; skiing at Sleeping Giant or Pahaska; taking a snowmobile tour into Yellowstone with Gary Fales Outfitting at the East Entrance; taking wildlife tours up the South Fork or into Sunlight or looking at wild horses; visiting the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Cody Firearms Experience; and snowmobiling in the Beartooths.

That would just be a start of what could be done in the Cody country in the winter or offseason. This should be a year-round campaign, not just from October to March, to catch those eyeballs that only look at visiting Park County during the traditional tourism season. This would be a boon to all business in Park County.

Cody does not just have to roll up the sidewalks when Yellowstone is not open to automobiles.

Keith Dahlem

Cody