Utah’s Tourism Industry:
A Force of Nature In November of 2020, outgoing Gov. Gary Herbert hosted his
Strong Foundation
final virtual roundtable discussion with the Governor’s Office
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.
of Economic Development (now-Gov. Spencer Cox’s Office of Economic Opportunity) 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.”
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.
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