Utah is spending $3.2M on tourism ads

The Utah Office of Tourism is spending $3.2 million this spring for a print and television advertisement campaign in hopes that the number of out-of-state visitors this summer remains steady.

Last year, about 20 million people visited Utah and spent more than $7.2 billion, said Leigh von der Esch, the office's managing director. Von der Esch said she doesn't have any projections for this year.

"It's hard to predict," she said. "I've heard from other states. They would consider 'flat' the new 'up.' "

This spring, the ads will appear on national cable television channels, including National Geographic, A&E, the History Channel, Fox News, Animal Planet and the Travel Channel. Also this spring, ads will run on local stations in Los Angeles, Denver and Phoenix. Research shows that the majority of out-of-state visitors are from nearby states, von der Esch said.

Print ads will run in Sunset, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Budget Travel and Backpacker magazines. Interactive ads will also appear on the Internet, including Orbitz.com, TripAdvisor.com, and Expedia.com. In all, the Office of Tourism is expected to generate 214.5 million advertising "impressions."

The ads take into consideration the pocketbooks of would-be out-of-state visitors during the recession, said Steve Driggs, creative director for Salt Lake City-based Struck Inc., which created the campaign.

While previous ads have shown canoes at an airport baggage claim, no airports are featured in this year's commercials. "Maybe people aren't going to fly in for a Utah trip, but they are going to drive in," Driggs said.

The commercials also focus on multiple activities that visitors can enjoy — from camping to climbing — to emphasize the value of a Utah vacation.

"One day, you could be hiking red rock," von der Esch said. "The next day, you could be enjoying the symphony in Park City and the cool mountain air of Deer Valley."

The money for the advertising budget comes from a fund the Utah Legislature created in 2005 from taxes related to tourism. Between 2005 and 2008, tourism has increased from 17 million to more than 20 million visitors. Spending is up from $5.4 billion to $7.2 billion during that period.

MAIL: lhancock@desnews.com