Utah Parks Driving Tourism Season

If you pay a visit to one of Utah’s national parks this summer, you may wonder if the economy really is in a recession. Since the beginning of the year, visitation to Utah’s five national parks—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion—is up 7.4 percent. Year to date, statewide occupancy is off 8.2 percent, but lodging properties in Utah cities and towns surrounding the national parks report strong bookings this year, reflecting an influx of international visitors traveling to the parks. If you’re hiking on one of  the many trails, you’ll likely hear multiple languages being spoken. jobs.utah.gov/opencms/wi/pubs/trendlines/septoct09/ourguest.pdf