The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board on Monday urged the county to consider a new destination management and marketing organization, or DMMO, and to adopt the Sustainable Destination Management Plan (SDMP) as a policy framework. The board’s director said the DMMO would combine marketing, management, destination development and stewardship under a single contract to coordinate visitor messaging, product development and stewardship efforts.

"A DMMO allows us to invest in a system that really does benefit all and put the community at the center," Krista Valentino, director of the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, told the Teton County commissioners. Valentino said the travel industry is the county’s largest economic sector and that many current activities are performed under multiple contracts and informal relationships. The proposed DMMO would be a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) contracted by the travel board and expected to assume work over a multi-year ramp-up.

Valentino said the travel board issued an RFP with a Feb. 28 submission deadline and that, if a suitable proposal is selected, the contract could begin July 1 with an initial ramp-up period. The board recommends a multi-year contract (commonly three years with options to renew) to allow an organization time to hire staff and build programs. Valentino said the travel board would retain oversight and that the travel board itself would remain in existence to audit expenditures and hold the contract.

Why it matters: County commissioners asked how to ensure the DMMO remains responsive to community priorities. Commissioner Carlin asked whether a DMMO mandate "doesn't shift based on changes in elected office," and Valentino replied that while the DMMO’s core functions (marketing, management, development, stewardship) would remain, allocation between them could shift inside the contract. Deputy County Attorney Keith Gengary advised the board that longer contracts can be legally justified when necessary to secure competent applicants, but the contract must include findings and termination clauses for cause.

Commissioners discussed accountability safeguards: regular reporting, annual audits, public meetings and contract review would be built into the process, Valentino said. Commissioners also asked about budget scale: Valentino said the travel board’s current operating and grant activity is in the $6–7.5 million range and that a fully scaled organization could expect a similar budget, though exact figures would depend on the contract and year-by-year scope.

Valentino reiterated that the SDMP, adopted by the travel board in January 2023, is intended as an organizing framework for the DMMO and that county adoption of the SDMP would provide stronger alignment between county policy and the DMMO’s contract requirements.

Next steps: RFP submissions are due Feb. 28. The travel board will review proposals, interview finalists and, if it proceeds, negotiate a contract to present to the travel board and, through existing budget approvals, to the town and county as required by current joint agreements. Commissioners indicated interest in placing consideration of the SDMP on a future meeting agenda for the board to review adoption.