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Tax Payer Dollars To Bring Out-Of-State Tourists To Utah

Credit garfield.utah.gov/departments/tourism/

Tax payer dollars going to Garfield County tourism is expected to bring out-of-state tourists and their money to Utah’s outdoor recreation industry. A grant from the Utah Office of Tourism is funding the marketing to outdoor enthusiasts.

If you hear a commercial about Bryce Canyon on Pandora Radio or see a billboard with the famed red rock landscape, it probably came from the $175,500 of funding for Garfield County Tourism.

Falyn Owens, the executive director for the Garfield Office of Tourism said the funding helps visitors have a better experience when they’re trying to find out more about outdoor recreation in southern Utah.

“Tourism is such a big deal lately and everyone is doing such a good job and they all have great assets to promote,” Owens said. “It’s a pretty intense process and for a county as rural as our county, Garfield County, it’s critical that we have these funds.”

Owens said if you’re like everybody else, you’ve probably heard about Bryce Canyon, but she said Garfield County has a lot of options when it comes to outdoor recreation.

“We offer so much more, like the Grand Staircase National Monument, three state parks and amazing scenic drive,” Owens said. “It’s not just Bryce, there’s a lot more.”

Garfield County and St. George both have beautiful places to experience according to Owens, so the two often work together.

“Honestly because we’re pretty good team players in Utah, Bryce really isn’t Bryce without Zion,” Ownes said. “Most people like to do Zion and Bryce together and then they’ll explore the other things around. So we actually do, we partner with the St. George area with some co-op dollars.”

Owens said funding like this not only helps Garfield County, but it adds economic value to the entire state of Utah.