Tourism means $9.75B in revenue, $1.28B in taxes and 136,000 jobs

Travelers to Utah spent a record $9.75 billion in the state in 2018 and generated an estimated $1.28 billion in total state and local tax revenue, according to a recent study released by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute of the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Approximately 1 in 11 Utah jobs is  now supported by visitor spending, either directly or indirectly, the study found.

“Despite decelerating national park visits and a decline in Chinese visitor spending, Utah’s travel and tourism economy had another banner year in 2018,” said Jennifer Leaver, senior tourism analyst at the institute and lead author of the report. “Utah visitors are discovering and exploring the stunning attractions that exist outside of and in between our national parks.”

The report found that the record $9.75 billion that visitors spent in the Utah economy in 2018, was a 6.5 percent increase over the previous year. 

Utah’s travel and tourism industry accounted for an estimated 136,000 total jobs in 2018, a 5.4 percent year-over-year increase. Approximately 1 in 11 Utah jobs is supported by visitor spending, either directly or indirectly, the report said. Private travel and tourism-related employment sectors experienced healthy year- over-year wage increases, too. Passenger air industry wages increased 10.5 percent, food service wages increased 7.8 percent and wages in the accommodations sector increased 6.7 percent.

The direct visitor spending led to $15.94 billion in direct, indirect and induced visitor-related spending and an estimated $1.28 billion in total tax revenue.

Taxable sales in the accommodation sector reached $2 billion for the first time ever in 2018, a 5.5 percent year-over-year increase. However, average statewide hotel occupancy rates and daily room rates remained flat.

The report also found that Utah’s national parks, state parks and ski resorts experienced record visitation in 2018.

The full report can be accessed online at https://gardner.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/Travel-and-Tourism-Report-Nov2019.pdf2019.pdf.