Early '06 figures show strong tourism industry

Tourism and recreation sometimes seem like nebulous things, but tourism advocates have armed themselves with statistics to make their case with legislators that the industry has huge economic power.

Nan Groves Anderson, executive director of the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition, told the Utah Board of Tourism Development on Friday that preliminary figures for 2006 show a strong industry. For example, to meet one funding mechanism threshold, the state needed to see a 3 percent increase from taxes generated from tourism-related jobs. For 2006, the increase was 13.1 percent.

"So the news is absolutely phenomenal. ... Generally, the news is all very, very good," Anderson said. "We've got great statistics and information on particular aspects that we measured."

Tourism backers will use the statistics to demonstrate to lawmakers the need for increased marketing money. The state's tourism marketing fund has been bolstered by $18 million over the past two years, and this year's request will be for a total of $13 million, including $7 million from the state's general fund.

Among other statistics from the coalition:

• Tourism tax revenues equated to $464 per Utah household in 2005, but that figure grew to $494 in 2006.

• Total tourism spending was up 7.7 percent to $5.87 billion.

• Total travel- and recreation-related employment grew 4.9 percent to 125,800 jobs.

• Hotel, restaurant and car-rental taxes climbed.

• Lodging occupancy climbed from 3.2 percent to 68.2 percent.

The board's chairman, Colin Fryer, said the statistics were cause for celebration. "I don't know if you could have ever drawn it up better than this," he said.

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E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com