PROVO — Utah Valley tourism officials are riding a wave of increased interest in Utah County.

Now approaching its fifth anniversary as a private organization, the Utah Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau is calculating a 14 percent increase in transient room tax dollars with restaurants collecting 23 percent more in dining taxes last year over 2006. President and Chief Financial Officer Joel Racker said his sales team accounted for 40 groups visiting the valley in 2007, resulting in a local economic boost of $4.36 million.

Although the bureau is county-funded, it also receives funding from the state. That has increased under Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. from a state budget of $900,000 in 2003 under former Gov. Mike Leavitt to an $11 million budget last year, the third year of increased funding. Of that funding, $91,000 trickled down to Utah County for 2008 promotions, up from $64,000 in 2007.

Statewide the return in 2007 from 20.2 million visitors was $6 billion in visitor spending, $617 million in state and local taxes, $836 million in taxes from room rents and 113,173 jobs, according to the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition. Tourism also generated $708 of tax relief per household in 2007, up from $550 in 2006, Anderson said.

"Tourism is on the top of the list (for funding)," said Leigh Von der Esch, director of the Utah Office of Tourism, during a breakfast meeting of the Utah County tourism and hospitality community.

State tourism officials are vying for $15 million from the Utah Legislature this year, of which $3 million would go to cooperative marketing with nonprofit destination management organizations, such as the Utah Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The businesses aided by the bureau are considered partners, not paying members, Racker said. The tourism bureau provides public relations and research to promote and track tourism in Utah County. This year the bureau is focusing on festivals and events as it launches a new interactive Web site at www.utahvalley.org in late April.

"Tourism is the economic driver for the state," he said.

The bureau wants to see a 30 percent increase in visitors to its Web site, which is to have video and flash animation along with its message inviting tourists to the area. The marketing campaign for this year focuses on upcoming cultural and heritage events and festivals aimed at increasing the dollars tourists bring to the local economy, including hotels, restaurants and the taxes that make their way into county coffers.

While the state marketing campaign includes a sophisticated video touting Utah's scenery and recreation that is shown in trade shows around the world, in Utah County efforts are under way to increase the Utah Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau's photography library in cooperation with other destination groups and businesses, Racker said. The expanded photography effort would include Utah County golf courses, festivals and other points of interest.

The bureau also wants to boost local word of mouth about recreation in the county with its successful passport booklet that contains coupons for hotels and restaurants. The campaign is now entering its third year. The group is also working with the hospitality industry in training employees who come in contact with tourists about local points of interest by taking them on junkets to expose them to recreation opportunities in Utah County.

UCVB Bureau research shows that tourists usually ask a local about recreational opportunities, so the agency wants to make sure they know what Utah County offers, Racker said.

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E-mail: rodger@desnews.com