In effort to attract ‘respectful visitors,’ Southern Utah wins big piece of state’s tourism funds pie

ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah’s destination marketing groups have been awarded a big chunk of the state’s co-op marketing program to leverage state and partner dollars in an effort to attract visitors and expand the area’s tourism economy.

David Archuleta stars in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Tuacahn Amphitheater in Ivins, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Tuacahn Center for the Arts, St.
George News

“What we experience in the applications from Southern Utah year after year is that they’re really strong applications from large cultural groups such as Tuacahn and the Shakespeare Festival,” said Vicki Varela, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film. “The applications from Southern Utah are among the most sophisticated in the state in their thoughtfulness and understanding of their visitor economies.”

The program supports tourism initiatives at the local level. Southern Utah goes through the rigorous process to get a slice of the Utah Board of Tourism Development’s $5.2 million cooperative marketing grants. The board awards these grants to 59 destination marketing organizations and travel-related nonprofits in 24 counties throughout the state.

“This funding will enable communities to lead their tourism economies in a way consistent with local priorities,” Varela said. 

The applicants are “getting better and better” at targeting quality visitors that will extend their stays and visit year-round. These types of visitors immerse themselves in everything that Southern Utah offers, Varela said, adding that these tourists are learning to be good citizens of the communities while they’re visiting due to marketing efforts such as “Be kind to Kanab” initiative.

“We want to make sure that they’re great visitors and that they understand how to hike in desert climates and to hydrate and to go to local restaurants,” Varela said. “And yes, we love the locals, but virtually all restaurants need that support of the visitor economy to exist. And the next time you go into your favorite local restaurant, look around, and you’ll see that a lot of the patrons are our visitors who are helping to keep those restaurants open.”

Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain wins the women’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Sept. 18, 2021 | Photo courtesy of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office, St. George News

The funding is appropriated from the Legislature through tax revenues in 21 different areas related to visitor spending. Varela said the tourism economy gets credit for a percentage of visitors’ sales. Examples include renting bicycles, going to restaurants, renting boats and other activities. She said this type of funding differs from the transient room tax from hotels, which also funds local destination marketing.

The Greater Zion Convention and Tourism office received $240,000 in funds for a new Greater Zion Visitors Guide and an additional $9,365 for the Meeting Planner Shows project.

“Since the last Visitors Guide was crafted, it’s been reprinted several times with the most basic updates,” said Sara Otto, marketing manager for Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. “With these funds, we’ll tackle a larger, more inclusive guide to showcase our growing number of lodging properties, activities, outfitters and experiences.”

The new guide will be a “beautiful, extensive, crafted” publication. Otto said it would be 100-plus pages with photos and a better look at communities and “outside the park” attractions. The focus is to attract respectful visitors to the area and get them to stay longer. The publication will also carry messages on how to be a responsible visitor.

Otto said the guide would be mailed out upon request. It’s intended to attract ready-to-travel visitors to Greater Zion, encompassing Washington County. She said the publication would be an enticing and thorough guide to all there is to see and do. The magazine is distributed electronically via their website and taken to trade shows and other events.

Greater Zion video display in the baggage claim area of St. George Regional Airport on June 22, 2020. | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

“Independent research shows our Visitors Guide is an important contributor to attracting new visitors and converting general visitors into Red Emerald Visitors,” Otto said.

Red Emerald Visitors are those who are respectful of the area. A study commissioned through DMA West showed incremental trips generate nearly $2 million in economic impact in 18 months. Otto also noted the guide generated nearly 5,000 incremental room nights.

“We have been wanting to do this project for a while. It fits the requirements of the co-operative marketing program. The funding will allow us to produce new content – both written and visual – to showcase all our area has to offer,” Otto said.

The Meeting Planner Shows project allows the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office sales team to target associations, corporate retreats, religious groups, third-party planners and independent planners of small to mid-sized groups to promote awareness of Greater Zion as a premier summer meeting destination. 

Otto said through one-on-one appointments at trade shows such as Smart Meetings, Small Market Meetings and Destination West, they will target planners who host meetings in the West during Washington Counties’ slower “shoulder season.”

Another source of the grant monies awarded by the state tourism board is the Sunparks. This nonprofit organization markets Utah’s five national parks. The group received $40,000 to share between Washington, Garfield, San Juan, Grand and Wayne counties. Joyce Kelly, Greater Zion Visitor and Tourism, international marketing director, said Sunparks will focus those funds in Germany’s largest cities through social media, e-newsletters and billboards. 

Germany has a long-standing reputation as one of Southern Utah’s leading international countries for visitation. Kelly said the German visitor is the ideal visitor. She said they enjoy what the area offers and greatly appreciate and respect public lands. They also tend to stay longer and spend more money.

The Utah Cooperative Marketing Program was established in 2005 and has since successfully funded 936 applications totaling $53.4 million to destination marketing organizations and travel-related nonprofits. According to a press release, it has extended the state’s brand to $106.8 million in out-of-state marketing dollars. The Co-op fund creates a partnership between the Utah Office of Tourism and Utah’s local destination marketing organizations, including convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, events, festivals and regional tourism organizations, to increase visitor spending in the state through marketing.

The specific breakdown for the funds to assist in marketing the area includes $240,000 for Greater Zion Convention & Tourism’s Visitor Guide, $9,365 for Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Meeting Planner, $183,226 for Tuacahn Center for the Performing Arts, $130,000 for Utah Shakespeare Festival, and $182,400 for Visit Cedar City – Brian Head Destination, according to the news release.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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