By Jody Tait
With this Saturday marking the one-year anniversary of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Utah tourism has increased and is expected to continue.
Many involved with Utah travel say they expect a continual growth trend in mostly National as well as some International travel to Utah.
The Olympic celebration made it easier to discover Salt Lake City and enjoy its new hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping centers, museums, Olympic landmarks and tourist attractions.
After declining two years in a row, non-resident arrivals to Utah increased to 17.5 million in 2002. Visitation reports indicated an increase in vehicle traffic along Utah''s interstates and more visitors at Utah National Parks and state-operated welcome centers.
'The multi-billion-dollar Olympic preparations have created an urban renaissance to match the city''s natural surroundings and year-round recreational opportunities,' said Ken Kraus of the Utah Travel Council.
'After the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games travelers have more reasons than ever to discover Utah firsthand. They can experience many of the places and activities they read about or watched during coverage of the Games. They can ski or snowboard the greatest snow on earth at the same resorts where Olympians won gold, silver or bronze medals. They can find year-round adventure and rejuvenation in Utah - the official playground before, during and especially after the 2002 Olympic Winter Games,' said Mark Bennett of the Utah Travel Council.
Other factors have also added to the growth of Utah travel. Economic uncertainty, unemployment and reactions to 9/11 followed by the war on terrorism have caused different trends in travel. Some of these trends are: shorter trips closer to home, less air travel and more road trips, reduced spending, more interest in making connections with family and culture and more interest in outdoor recreational activities.
Each trend adds to Utah''s popularity as a travel destination. Because of these trends, Utah travel organizations have strengthened their advertising in Texas and along the West Coast; areas that are within reasonable driving distance.
Ever since the Olympics, Utah Travel has made strong efforts to bring more visitors to Utah. The day the Olympic flame was lit, they initiated the one thousand day plan. The plan consists of different goals dealing with research, advertising, media collaboration around the world and communication with tour operators and trade shows.
It''s hard for anyone to say how much tourism will increase this year. 'We won''t know until a year from now, after we have a record of everyone that''s visited our red rocks in the summer months,' said Kent Hansen, communications director of Utah Travel.
Hansen also said winter tourism to Utah has been down because of this years drought, that''s why it''s important to take this years summer travel into account.
Jon Kemp, the research director of Utah Travel said, 'TV and news media during the Olympics gave Utah unprecedented exposure. It educated a large portion of the population, dispelled myths about the state, and reinforced positive imagery about people and landscape, helping many see that Utah is an attractive place to live, or just to visit.'