New funding will help state grab more tourism dollars

Those attending the conference, which was put on by the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition and the Utah Office of Tourism, consisted of private, state and industry representatives.

Anderson said tourism studies show that for each dollar a state spends on advertising itself, the return is $8.64 to the state's economy.

"And I've seen studies that show it's as high as $30 to $1. We think it will take 18 to 24 months, using this new money, before we can actually achieve this kind of a return. But, there's not a better state to sell."

One target will be the European visitor. The current value of the dollar has made visits to the United States great buys for Europeans. Another target area will be China, which is now a new player in the travel market.

Von der Esch said that while it is important that the industry try to keep Utahns in Utah, "we realize they'll be out there traveling about the world. But we really need to showcase not only our scenic beauty but the unique experiences that are available, and our heritage and culture — locally, nationally and internationally."

"We will also look at the custom-vacation market. We have music festivals and bird festivals and art festivals for those who are interested in those things. This new money will allow us to reach out to those markets and get our message out."

She also suggested Utah would be interested in partnering with other states in luring visitors.

"There are some real benefits, for example, of partnering with Arizona. We could encourage people to see the Grand Canyon, then maybe drive through Utah to visit Mesa Verde (Colorado), then come back to visit Utah's national parks and then spend two nights in Las Vegas before catching a plane home," she suggested.

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