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After a decade of steady growth and record-setting numbers, the pandemic proved to be a speed bump for Utah's tourism industry, which saw widespread decline in visitation in 2020.
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released its report on the state of Utah’s tourism industry Wednesday. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacting hotels and national park visitation, Utah state parks, the ski industry and recreation-based retail have all increased in popularity.
More travel executives get their mission-critical industry news from Skift than any other source on the planet.Tell me more From the most visited national parks in the nation to skiing and urban escapes, Utah’s tourism industry was continuing to grow at a record pace pre-pandemic, increasing by 5.1 percent every year since 2015. In 2019, Utah tourism saw $10 billion in visitor spending — approximately eight percent of that from international visitors, according to the Utah Office of Tourism — and $1.34 billion in tourism tax revenue, while state and national parks also experienced recor...
Utah’s state parks are drawing record crowds despite the pandemic. See which ones top the list. Brian Maffly © Rick Egan (Rick Egan | Tribune file photo) A sunset along the shore of Willard Bay in January 2018. Willard Bay ranked as the third most-visited state park in 2020. Utah’s state parks saw their biggest jump in visitation ever last year, ticking up by a third at a time when the coronavirus pandemic pushed more and more people outdoors seeking socially distanced recreation. Most of the 2.6 million increase in park visitation occurred in the summer months, accordi...