Chamber unveils 'Mountain Kind' brand and sustainable‑tourism priorities to council

The Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau presented to Summit County Council on its winter performance, a new brand called “Mountain Kind,” and a sustainable tourism strategy intended to balance visitation with community goals.

Jennifer Wesselhoff, the Chamber’s president and CEO, said occupancy and tax collections finished modestly up for the season (local sales taxes up 4.5%; TRT up 0.4%), while the Chamber is targeting a more balanced approach to visitation through branding and visitor management. The Chamber rolled out a new brand identity — “Mountain Kind” — intended to influence visitor behavior and emphasize stewardship, inclusivity and a year‑round profile for Park City and Summit County.

Wesselhoff described a $300,000 sustainable tourism grant program administered by the Chamber that awarded funds across visitor product development (about 42% of awards), visitor dispersion, impact management and education. The Chamber outlined management tools including a refreshed visitor center, a planned mobile visitor center to meet visitors where they gather, trailhead webcams to inform parking, a mountain‑kind pledge for residents and visitors, and partnerships on bike share expansion and green business programming.

Councilors asked about data sources and measurement: Jennifer said Destimetrics is used for pacing data (with under 50% lodging participation) and the Chamber coordinates tax‑collection figures with county accounting; she noted a forthcoming tourism economic impact study and resident sentiment survey to benchmark outcomes. Jennifer also flagged the Chamber’s role in preparing for a possible 2034 Winter Games and emphasized the Chamber’s focus on managing visitation rather than simply increasing volume.

Council members responded positively to the sustainable tourism plan, reiterated the need to manage back‑end impacts such as EMS and search and rescue calls, and asked for future briefings on community impacts and lodging participation rates. The council later approved a contract amendment with the Chamber related to TRT funding (see separate item).