Tourism after tragedy and triumph.

• Author: Blodgett, John
• Position: Feature Story

The 2002 Utah summer tourism season followed two extraordinary events: the World Trade Center tragedy of 9/11 and the most successfully marketed Winter Olympic Games ever. Predictions and early trends suggested that the former would curtail air travel and therefore affect tourism around the globe, while the latter would introduce Utah to the world and encourage national and international visitors to come play in the Beehive State.

Given these two factors, how did Utah's tourism industry fare this past summer?

He predicts a four percent increase over the previous year citing an index that measures the economic performance of industries that include lodging eating and drinking These industries fared particularly well during the first quarter of 2002, due mainly to the Winter Games According to figures compiled by John Kemp research coordinator at the Utah Travel Council restaurants reported a six percent increase in taxable sales over the previous year, while lodging posted a gain of 30 percent, even with room rates set at high levels due to demand during the Games.

A four percent increase may seem rather modest, bit Reeder stresses the need, to see the figure in the proper context of a sluggish economy Neighboring states are not faring as well as Utah and there has been a significant drop in foreign visitors attributed to 9/11's impact on international air travel However Reeder credits 9/11 as the cause of Utah s overall summertime gains There is more (auto) travel closer to home, he says Our neighbors are reconnecting with the land and each other and filing in the gap left by the decrease in foreign tourists."

The situation this year at Zion and Bryce National Parks helps to illustrate this trend Visitation at Zion has soared 24 percent while attendance at Bryce is down 15 percent (YTD 7/3r) Kemp s, research explains the disparity between the two locations and affirms Reeder's assessment "Zion is easier to get to and closest to-the referring to California residents who vacation in Utah and prefer the value convenience and security of automobile travel. They may also want to make the most of their vacation time by focusing on one particular area. Bryce, on the other hand, is not as immediately accessible to auto tourists. Furthermore, it relies heavily upon bus tours which offer multiple-destination packages popular with foreign visitors who want to see as much as possible while in America. Bryce Canyon National Park has therefore suffered...