This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Travelers to Arches National Park may be finding bigger and bigger crowds when visiting.
Two recent studies might show why.
TripAdvisor, a travel planning and booking site, named Arches 17th in its most recent list of top 25 U.S. travel attractions that have seen the greatest increase in traveler interest this fall based on year-over-year search activity on the site.
"The Attractions Trend Index reveals introspective and inspirational sites that are gaining attention from travelers this fall," said Brooke Ferencsik, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor. "For those looking for ideas for great things to do before the end of the season or looking ahead to time off during the holidays, these sites offer something appealing for all traveler types."
Arches was praised on the site for offering stunning vistas and more than 2,000 natural stone arches. The site encouraged four-wheel drive tours.
A study by the U.S. Travel Association recently released a study saying more foreign travelers are coming to America to visit its national parks.
In 2015, 13.6 million overseas travelers visited national parks and monuments. That represented 35.4 percent of all overseas visitors to the U.S., up from 33.4 percent in 2012. They spent a combined $16.9 billion during their trips, supporting 295,00 jobs.
U.S. Travel expects that to increase to 40 million in 2017.
"Even though a number of factors are exerting downward pressure on inbound travel volume, we continue to see pretty healthy trends in numbers of overseas visitors," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. "There are a number of good theories as to why. One is that many of the country's prime attractions, like the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, can't be replicated just by going to a cheaper country; another is that the U.S. offers world-class activities at the full range of price points, from the tip-top of luxury to the freest of the free. Both of those are born out by the growth we are seeing in international interest in our national parks."