BUFFALO — They’ll be learning French this winter at the TA Ranch near Buffalo. No kidding.
It’s preparation for an expected onslaught of French tourists.
“We’ve seen at least a 40-50% increase in the last four or five weeks in the number of French tourists,” TA Ranch’s Kirsten Giles told Cowboy State Daily. “Just a large volume of French tourists coming through here.”
Those numbers could get even greater, given that four of the ranch’s recent French visitors are travel agents.
They’re the tip of the spear for a French invasion — the folks who will create intriguing travel itineraries to sell to French tourists fond of the West.
The TA Ranch turned out to be among the group’s favorite stops, the four told Giles before leaving to go explore Custer State Park on the next leg of their American West journey.
Giles wasn’t surprised. Other French tourists have already been telling her similar things.
“The French like the experience here because this is more of a cultural exchange, because we’re a small family-run property,” Giles said. “We try to give people a lot of individual attention. Just think about how cool it’d be to go stay with a family in France that grows grapes and observe their life for a few days.”
Staying at the TA Ranch is basically the same thing in reverse. It’s a chance for the French to “chase the cows,” Giles said, as well as ride in big open spaces, something rare in their own country.
“Back home they ride in arenas, they ride in schools and in the forest,” she said. “They don’t have a lot of open meadows and experiences like this. So they love to come here and they want to just John Wayne it.”
Making The Numbers
The TA Ranch’s four French visitors were part of an overall strategy the Wyoming Office of Tourism has to lasso more of the international tourism the state lost in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, Wyoming’s international visitors spent about $110 million, according to James Scoon, who is Wyoming Office of Tourism’s director of global partnerships. Now in 2024, they’re spending around $50.5 million.
That’s going to take some time to rebuild, Scoon said.
“Our estimate is 2026, 2027 for getting back to those 2019 numbers,” he said. “We based our numbers on U.S. Travel, which is doing an estimate on where international is as a whole. But we know we’re not New York. We know ours are going to take a little bit longer.”
Wyoming will update its estimates as new figures come in from U.S. Travel, Scoon added.
“As we get those numbers, we’ll be able to have a better estimate,” he said. “The goals may be aggressive. It could take until ’27, ’28, but right now, that’s the goal we’re going for.”
French tour directors learn about the. homestead cabin outside the Jim Gatchell Museum. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
Domiziana Antamoro and Alexandra Seon look at historical photos displayed at the Occidental Hotel in Buffalo. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
From left, French tour directors Domiziana Antamoro, Alexandra Seon, Francois Cardon, and Guillaume Gambart were in Buffalo exploring travel opportunities to sell to other French tourists. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
Basque culture in Buffalo was among the exhibits recent French tour directors found intriguing at the Jim Gatchell Museum. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
French tourists listen as Kristen De Galard, administrative assistant at Johnson County Tourism gives them a tour of Buffalo. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
Domiziana Antamoro and Alexandra Seon look at historical photos displayed at the Occidental Hotel in Buffalo. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily)
Stillettos And Hiking
Scoon feels that Wyoming has good prospects, based on the conversations he’s had with various tourism groups in Europe.
“The Western cowboy, this lifestyle, it’s something that people have dreamed about,” he said. “When I go to Germany, I hear about the TV programs they used to watch as children, and, when they’re finally here, they are super honest when they’re here (that) people are a little different.”
Different in the sense that the European tourists are often coming from bigger cities, so they love the small-town feel of Wyoming towns.
Still, even with all the advantages Wyoming has, rolling out the red carpet for international tourists is sometimes an art form, particularly when there is a language barrier.
Like the time some Italian travel agents visited Wyoming, asking to do some “hiking.”
“We gave them some examples of how to dress appropriately for a hike,” Scoon said. “And I’m not sure if they didn’t read it or what, but some of the women had, like, stilettos when they showed up.”
It took a little doing, but more appropriate footwear was quickly located, so that the hiking trip on a rugged and rocky trail could still be pleasant for everyone.
Sometimes, Scoon said, the best parts of the tours end up being the simple things that were unscripted, and almost an afterthought.
“Sometimes we’ll get back and find out their favorite part of the day was just making s’mores and looking at the stars,” Scoon said. “Because they’ve never done that before.”
French Want More Flexible Stays At Guest Ranches
One of the other things the French travel agents liked about the TA Ranch is that it has some flexible stays, to help meet different travel needs — something these tour guides said they’d love to see more parts of Wyoming.
Many other dude ranches require six-night minimum stays, French travel agent Domiziana Antamoro told Cowboy State Daily. That doesn’t really work for French tourists, who have too many other things they want to see and do when they come on what may be, for them, a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime trip to America.
“The French are looking for ranches where they can stay not a long time, and ride horses, and live the cowboy dream,” she said. “There’s not enough of those, so that would be a good business to open.”
Western history and culture are also of great interest to the French, Antamoro added.
“When the Americans came and saved Europe, we all wanted to know who were the Americans,” she said. “There was a lot of attraction to America post-war.”
Some of that attraction comes, too, from Western movies, Francois Cardon, another French travel agent, told Cowboy State Daily.
“Our father and our grandfathers watched all the cowboy stuff,” Cardon said. “And (read) all the books, too.”
The scenic qualities of Wyoming are outstanding once tourists arrive in Wyoming, French travel agent Guillaume Gambart told Cowboy State Daily.
“I love landscapes and the scenic road,” he said. “The far West culture is very good, very nice. And French people love this.”
Places like Yellowstone can be a hook for the rest of the state, French travel agent Alexandra Seon suggested.
“I was really happy to come to Wyoming because it was kind of a dream to discover Yellowstone first of all,” she said. “But just as my colleagues say, the nature, the landscape, the immensity — it’s the reason why I love America and your landscapes. It’s huge. It’s incredible.”
Buffalo will be a great side light in a larger American adventure, Gambart added.
“The road trip is, the journey is the most important,” he said. “So, this is a very good step in the road trip. The TA Guest Ranch, it’s a good working ranch for the people fond of Western horse raising. It’s so crazy, and French people are so fond of this.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
