"If the economy was growing at 85 mph and the speed limit is 65, we're only down to 75 now," said Joel Racker, Utah County Convention and Visitors Bureau president and chief executive. "The economy is not growing the way it has in the past, but people are cautiously moving forward."
His upbeat outlook is based partly on the opening of a hotel at Thanksgiving Point, further evidence of that development's maturation as a tourist destination. In addition, Racker said it appears ground will be broken this spring in Pleasant Grove on John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts' 100,000-square-foot convention center and 300-suite Embassy Suites Hotel.
"These will both be big for us," he said, citing their potential to enhance revenue figures that support his contention that Utah County's tourism business is flourishing.
Collections from the county's basic 3 percent transient room tax were 14 percent higher last year than in 2006, climbing to $1.3 million. The restaurant tax rose 23 percent, to $3.7 million.
Utah County counted a 9 percent increase in international visitors, a reflection of the weak dollar. Racker said 36 percent of visitors came from Canada, 8 percent from Germany and 5 percent from South America.
On the meeting and convention side, Utah County received an economic boost of $4.3 million from 40 groups that booked 9,260 room nights in hotels during the year. These groups include sports teams participating in tournaments, those involved in film showings and associations staging a variety of meetings.
Racker said the Utah Office of Tourism's cooperative marketing program, which provides matching funds for local initiatives targeting out-of-state tourists, helped immensely. The state provided $82,000 in funding last year.
"It's critical that the Legislature continue to support state funding from the Office of Tourism. We benefit directly as a local-destination marketing organization," he said, citing activities such as a tulip festival and Renaissance Fair at Thanksgiving Point, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, shows at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem and the Freedom Festival in Provo.
The success of these programs validates the value of the cooperative marketing concept, said Utah Office of Tourism spokeswoman Tracie Cayford. "There are great things to look forward to on the horizon," she said. "The Freedom Festival is really one of Utah's premier events and has attracted national attention as one of the top events in the country."
mikeg@sltrib.com
