I n 2020, travelers spent $7.07 billion in Utah, a 29.8% decline from the 2019 record spending of $10.13 billion. As a result, Utah travel and tourism spending supported 18,800 fewer jobs and generated $255 million less in total tax revenue.

Utah’s travel and tourism industry—the hardest-hit industry by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic—experienced a healthy recovery during the first half of 2021, particularly in Utah’s rural areas.

One year since the arrival of COVID in the U.S. and Utah’s tourism economy is back on track. Leisure and hospitality employment in southern Utah rebounded “back to baseline” last fall, while the rest of the state began catching up this spring. Statewide, hotel occupancy rates returned to 2019 levels this April, while transient room tax revenue surpassed 2019 levels this February and March.

Proposed developments at Zion National Park’s east entrance include the construction of a new visitor center, lodging, and hiking/biking trails along with the deployment of an electric shuttle fleet. This study analyzes the economic impacts of east park improvements on Kane and Washington counties over 10 years by comparing this high-investment scenario with a projected baseline scenario.

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.

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.