Local Tour Business Owner Honored

Desert Wonder Tour Founder Honored with Prestigious Lloyd Shires Tourism Award Nomination

Robert Walton, founder and owner of Desert Wonder Tours was honored   by The Laughlin Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Awards (CAA)  this month, November 2022.  Mr. Walton was one of four tristate entrepreneurs honored for their contribution to Laughlin area Tourism achievements.

Robert and Desert Wonder Tours congratulates Trina Ewing, a sales profession with Golden Entertainment that represents 9 Laughlin Casino’s who, with over 7,200 team members, was honored as recipient of the award at this year’s 25th Annual CAA where more than 600 nominees and their guests, along with sponsoring entities, attended the formal award’s dinner at the Aquarius Casino Resort.  Trina was nominated three times in previous years for this award.

Robert Walton receiving Tourism nomination award at Laughlin Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Awards banquet.

This is Robert’s first nomination for the Lloyd Shires Tourism Award and he feels truly honored. Having launched Desert Wonder Tours on Veteran’s day in November 2017, Robert has used his vast marketing skills to elevate the business which started out with one used 15 passenger van, no market capital, no advertising budget, and no employees.

Despite extreme setbacks by the pandemic shutdowns, prohibitions and slowdowns, Robert’s innovative, and creative marketing skills enabled Desert Wonder Tours to grow despite the pandemic. Robert partnered his tour van with two local non-profits to deliver food boxes to Chloride, AZ., a small mining ghost town with some residents who were struggling to find transportation to get to town for food due to pandemic restrictions. Bob’s out-of-the-box thinking wherein he adapted into a courier service for COVID testing samples, transporting them from doctors and companies all over Kingman to Wickenburg 5 days a week.

Robert began his Marketing career in 1983 at Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Casino where he was initially brought on as head of Banquets & Conventions then promoted to Director of Marketing around 1984. While in that position, he worked with the Riverside Maintenance department to design a float for the Laughlin River Days parade to depict a conceptualization of a future bridge across the Colorado River connecting Arizona and Nevada at Laughlin. At that time Laughlin, Nevada was an up-and-coming destination point outside of Las Vegas. 

Robert is proud that he was able to help Laughlin be more accessible connecting Arizona to Nevada far more conveniently than the previous route that required driving over Davis Dam. During the 1980’s, Laughlin, NV saw an expansion of Casinos and Hotels being built bringing in more tourism and shows that competed with Las Vegas, NV as a popular destination point.  

Desert Wonder Tours offers 8 popular tour destination experiences from 4 cities in the Tristate area: Laughlin, NV, Las Vegas, NV, Lake Havasu City, AZ., and Kingman, AZ.
Robert has brought his knowledge about and love of the Tristate area, coupled with his Marketing savvy, to create a 5-Star tour company that provides a unique, unforgettable tour experience for adventure seekers from around the world. As Robert is prone to say, “It’s not the tour; It’s the Experience!”

Find us on Facebook: Desert Wonder Tours

Join our Facebook group: Explore Northwest Arizona