Spring is in full bloom in southern Utah and, with its arrival, hopes are soaring for a banner year for tourism.
"It's going to be a terrific summer because the dollar is down and [Europeans] want to travel abroad," says Denny Judd, longtime owner of Denny's Wigwam, a haven for tourists in Kanab.
"Tourism is going great," echoes "Cowboy Ted" Hallisey, executive director of the Kane County Office of Tourism, noting that available figures point to a strong start to the season.
The quarter ending in January showed a 44 percent jump in lodging over last year, he said, while room rentals in February shot up 87 percent. Hits on the agency's redesigned Web site also have skyrocketed, going from 200 to 300 a week last year to more than 500 a week so far this season.
Hallisey's office has a $300,000 budget - funded through a transient room tax - and he says he tries to get the most value for his dollars as he promotes Kane County and its 1,000 guest rooms (700 in Kanab).
He attributes some of the positive developments to an aggressive campaign to tout the county as a tourist destination. Ads have run in such diverse publications as the Cabela's Outfitter's Journal, SkyWest Magazine and the Grand Circle Directory. A large ad will run in the Orange County (Calif.) Register next month, and Kane County is one of 10 Utah locations recommended by Travelocity.
The region boasts scenic wonders, including Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. Even Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab draws its share of tourists.
Terri Glover, for one, is convinced the promotions are paying off. She and her husband, Gary, own the Quail Park Lodge in Kanab, and she says that everyone in town is expecting 2005 to be a big year.
Their 13-room motel was all booked up for the Memorial Day weekend, as well as the following weekend.
"Kanab and Kane County have done a pretty good job of promoting our area. They're starting to get it," she says. "Kanab is getting found."
Recent days at Denny's Wigwam, where everything from trinkets to cowboy hats to expensive American Indian art is for sale, would seem to bear that statement out.
Judd's business depends on the tour bus trade, and on one recent day 31 buses stopped at the Wigwam. Five bus loads stayed for lunch in the dining room, five more for dinner - each group also taking part in a fun skit on the back lot that has become part of the Denny's Wigwam tradition.
"Kanab is the kind of town we're trying to make into a destination," Judd says.
"Over the years, I've been fortunate to meet the bus drivers. They're the backbone of the tour business. And, according to them, we're going to have a huge season."
Of the many bus tours that swing through the area, he estimates 20 percent stay the night in Kanab. Their presence has a ripple effect on shops, restaurants and motels.
Terri Glover's view echoes that of other motel owners. Noting that 75 percent of her business comes from walk-ins, she says, "We're figuring we're going to catch the overflow. We're happy we're going to reap the rewards of that."
Hallisey, who grew up in California, draws upon a simple comparison to illustrate why he thinks Kane County will continue its forward march as a tourist destination.
"There's so much to see here, especially in southern Utah," he says. "To me, Utah has all the good California had 30 years ago."
