By JESSICA OROZCO
Each year during general conference, Temple Square is swamped with visitors from around the world. However, other tourism sites from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not visited as much in October as they are during the summer.
Katie Pettey, tourism services manager with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, said visitors do not take advantage of the many exciting sites Salt Lake City has.
Various LDS tourism site representatives said there is an increase in tourism around Conference, but not much.
Glen Leonard, director of the Museum of Church History and Art, said the museum experiences a noticeable increase during the two-week period before and after general conference. He said most of these visitors are members of the LDS church. However, May through September are the months that attract the most tourists.
Linda Komz, assistant director of the Beehive House, said there is probably a 25 percent increase in the visitors that walk through their doors daily during conference time.
Pettey said everyone should take a tour of the many great attractions near Temple Square.
A two-block walking tour of downtown Salt Lake City covers fifteen LDS attractions and buildings. All of the sites that offer tours are free. The walking tour includes museums, such as the Museum of Church History and Art, the Social Hall Heritage Museum and the Beehive House. Monuments include the Brigham Young Monument and the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Monument.
The Family History Library and Family Search in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building are dedicated to genealogy. LDS buildings include Temple Square, the Relief Society Building, the Church Office Building and the Church Administration Building.
Other attractions are the Gordon Place (the cemetary site of Heber C. Kimball), the Brigham Young Historic Park, the Pioneer Log Home and the Lion House — which is open to the public for lunch at the Pantry area.
Pettey also said hotels are not impacted by general conference. She said the number of booked hotel rooms does not increase. Dale Hansen, Salt Lake City public lands specialist, said he had an explanation.
“Many visitors stay with family. General conference is kind of a family thing,” Hansen said.
