Utah’s Tourism Industry

A Force of Nature

In November of 2020, outgoing Gov. Gary Herbert hosted his final virtual roundtable discussion with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and his economic development team. The discussion focused on Utah’s travel and tourism industry, with business leaders providing insight into Utah’s tourism industry.

Tourism was among the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the discussion acknowledged that the weeks and months ahead held continued uncertainty, but also opportunities and even silver linings. The meeting illuminated the amount of work to be done, but industry leaders endeavored to “never let a good crisis go to waste.”

Strong Foundation

A strong recovery starts with a solid foundation. Fortunately, Utah is built for a robust travel and tourism industry, as Gov. Herbert observed at the November meeting. Indeed, the tourism sector contributes $10.06 billion to the state’s economy annually and supports about 141,500 jobs.

This strong foundation is no accident. Utah’s coordinated and continued investment in tourism put the state on the map as an international travel destination, enabling local communities to build their economy alongside powerful branding such as The Mighty 5® , The Greatest Snow on Earth®, and other targeted campaigns.

Strategy in Motion

The Utah Office of Tourism (UOT) mission is “to elevate life in Utah through responsible tourism stewardship.” According to the statewide plan, achieving this mission takes a balance of proactive marketing, sustainable stewardship, and powerful branding development.

Community-led visitor readiness that attracts quality as well as quantity visitors, and distributed visitation are also critical.

“The Red Emerald business strategy is key to ensuring our efforts contribute to a high quality of life for residents, high-quality experience for visitors and longterm growth in Utah’s tourism industry,” said Vicki Varela, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

The events of 2020 could have derailed this and other tourism strategy and planning. Instead, UOT executed a marketing strategy under Varela’s leadership that appealed to prospective visitors in their current circumstance, matching messages with current travel sentiment. Meanwhile, the state of Utah’s COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force put guidelines in place that enabled the industry to safely open for business with recommendations to help travelers manage risk and protect Utahns.

The strategy helped Utah outpace neighboring states in its economic recovery and helped hotel bookings rebound faster and higher in several parts of the state. Yet, many businesses were still suffering by the year’s end, especially in convention districts such as Utah’s urban Wasatch Front.

With an eye to the future, the UOT collaborated with Utah’s eight convention districts to make funds available for the Meet in Utah incentive program to attract small group business. The program utilized funding from the CARES Act.

The Utah Legislature acted quickly to pass responsible legislation allocating funds to help Utahns through the pandemic. Legislation provided grants for businesses to manage rent, payroll, and personal protective equipment needs. It also created funds to support the arts and sustain the UOT’s strategic tourism marketing to help the state secure and hold a competitive advantage.

The future is bright

Utah’s landscapes, sustained by its steady cultural heartbeat, will ensure the state continues to attract visitors. New development by counties in collaboration with public land managers and the Office of Outdoor Recreation shows promising growth that benefits communities and visitors alike.

At the Utah Tourism Conference in September of 2020, now-Gov. Spencer Cox summed it up well.

“Our expectations about safe travel have evolved, but we still travel for the same reasons: to get away, to experience something special with our family, and for that soulawakening adventure,” he said. “And that is the vision statement of the Office of Tourism.”