Utah rolling out ads

"Additionally, our print ads started appearing in magazines around the country. Again, phone calls went up, travel guides increased, numbers went up," she said.

And folks did more than just learn about Utah. They came to the state. Overall tourism visitation grew 1 percent to 19.3 million. State hotel room tax revenues grew 16.9 percent in calendar 2006. Municipal hotel room taxes were up 20.4 percent. Restaurant and car-rental taxes climbed 10 percent. State park visitor numbers jumped 1.7 percent. And the 2005-06 ski season was a record-setter, with 4.1 million skier visits, up 2.8 percent from the prior year.

A research firm will track whether the campaign has worked. "It's extremely important to us that we make certain that these dollars are spent as effectively as possible," von der Esch said.

Huntsman described Utah as "the most spectacularly beautiful place on earth" and said the state needs tourism dollars to help fund its governmental needs.

"I would argue that this (tourism effort) is part of that ability to get those expenditures made," he said. "This is an engine of growth. This is a hugely consequential engine of growth for us. So to the extent that we do it right and that the (visitation) numbers continue to increase, we benefit as a state. And if we don't get it, it goes to Denver, it goes to Boise, it goes to Arizona, it goes to Clark County (Nevada)."

While the ads are targeted to out-of-staters, Utahns can check them out at www.travel.utah.gov, www.utah.travel and YouTube.com.

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