CEDAR CITY — Napoleon Dynamite wasn't at the second annual Utah Tourism Conference that wrapped up a three-day meeting in Cedar City Friday, but one of his biggest fans was definitely there.

"Napoleon did offer a few words of wisdom that we can apply to our own goals," Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said during remarksbefore 200 of the state's tourism specialists.

Among the lines that Huntsman quoted from the hit film, which the governor reminded the audience was developed, financed and produced by Utahns, was Napoleon's admonition to another student to "Get your own tots!"

"He was right," the governor said. "You have to have your own resources."

Huntsman lauded the Legislature for passing a bill that provides $18 million over two years for marketing and advertising Utah to the world. Included in the bill is $4 million to expand the Salt Palace, a project that Huntsman said is a necessity.

"Denver, Reno and Phoenix are all competing for many of the same conventions," he said. "Expanding the Salt Palace is the key to bringing in those large conventions and conferences. If we don't build it, they won't come."

Tourism is a vital piece of the state's economic pie, Huntsman said.

"Economic development is investing in a bigger pie, putting in a few extra ingredients and turning up the heat on the oven," the governor said. "Tourism is a very important piece of that pie."

Attracting more visitors to Utah will take more than money, he said. It will take strong, collaborative teams of private and public individuals.

"I urge you to join the team, to gain from the synergy of working with others," said Huntsman, who briefed the group on a $200 million cooperative marketing program he said would help generate more tourism dollars for the state. "We can't afford to be the tourism crossroads of the West. We must be the tourism destination."

By expanding its reach around the globe, Utah will attract a different clientele of tourists.

"Our visitors will look a whole lot different. They'll come from Korea, China, southeast Asia and even India," the governor predicted. "Our goal is to bring 5 million new visitors to the state, which translates into $1.2 billion new dollars. And we are anxious to get them to stay a few more days."

Promoting historical tours of Utah's back roads and pioneer towns will pay off, he added, as will advertising Utah's world-class ski industry and red rock adventure destinations such as Moab.

"Be proud of the product you have to market," said Huntsman. "As Napoleon said to his girlfriend, Deb, 'I see you're drinking 1 percent milk. Is that because you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole milk, if you wanted to . . .' In Utah we can drink the whole milk of tourism promotion," he said. "As to the future of tourism in Utah, in the words of Napoleon Dynamite, 'It's sweet.' "

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E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com