Travel & Tourism
The Gardner Institute produces leading travel and tourism research in Utah. We produce reports, profiles, research briefs, fact sheets, data sheets, and blogs on Utah’s visitor economy. Our research informs the Utah Office of Tourism, destination marketing organizations, policymakers, and the general public.
The State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry, February 2020 (Tri-Fold Brochure)
In 2019, travelers and tourists spent a record $10.06 billion in Utah. Nonresident visitors spent $8.62 billion of that (85.7%) with the largest shares spent on transportation, lodging, and dining. Additional nonresident visitor purchases included retail and groceries, as well as arts, entertainment, and recreation–related activities.
Utah Travel & Tourism County Profiles, 2019
Visitor spending generated $336.9 million in direct tax revenue, including $191.9 million in state and $145.0 million in local tax revenue. Visitor spending generated approximately $111.5 million in additional indirect and induced state and local tax revenue, for a total of $448.4 million.
COVID-19’s Impact on Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry, 2020
In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rattled the global travel and tourism industry with unprecedented force. As the virus surfaced in the U.S. in February, travel restrictions, flight cancellations, stay-at-home orders, and service-oriented business closures directly impacted visitor spending, tourism related jobs, and visitation trends.
COVID-19’s Impact on Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry (PowerPoint Presentation)
In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rattled the global travel and tourism industry with unprecedented force. As the virus surfaced in the U.S. in February, travel restrictions, flight cancellations, stay-at-home orders, and service-oriented business closures directly impacted visitor spending, tourism related jobs, and visitation trends.
Insight: Sunshine Before the Storm: How Utah Tourism Gleamed Before COVID-19
By: Jennifer Leaver Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. […]
The State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry, 2019
Travel and tourism is one of Utah's top ten industries, supporting one in 11 Utah jobs and generating over a billion dollars in state and local tax revenue annually.
The State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry, September 2020 (Tri-Fold Brochure)
In 2019, travelers and tourists spent a record $10.06 billion in Utah. Nonresident visitors spent $8.62 billion of that, with the largest shares spent on transportation (including gasoline purchases, car rentals, transportation fares, and parking), lodging, and dining. Additional nonresident visitor purchases included retail and groceries, as well as arts, entertainment, and recreation–related activities.
Insight: Pioneer Day Update: Utah’s Tourism Industry Shows Signs of Recovery
By: Jennifer Leaver Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Pioneer Day weekend is here, but with less fanfare that years past. Due to COVID-19, Days of ’47 parades, rodeos, fireworks, and other holiday activities in cities and towns across Utah have been cancelled and postponed until 2021. Now, halfway through summer, the pandemic’s effects on Utah’s tourism economy are emerging from the data. Utah’s[...]
Insight: Utah Is Positioned Well for Summer Travel Amid COVID-19
By: Jennifer Leaver Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Since mid-March, the travel and tourism industry has been on a wild ride. Stay-at-home orders amid the COVID-19 outbreak have taken a huge toll on the airline industry and other transportation-related businesses. Restaurants and bars have been forced to close or temporarily suspend their dine-in options, while hotels and short-term rentals have experienced mass reservation[...]
Insight: COVID-19 Pandemic Creates Unprecedented Challenges for Utah’s Tourism Industry
By: Jennifer Leaver Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Right now, my husband is at the kitchen table typing on his laptop, my son is sitting at the kitchen counter working on a math-based web platform, and my teenage daughter is in her bedroom video chatting with her science class. I am stationed at a small desk in my bedroom, our two cats snoozing[...]