Editor’s Note: This guest blog was written by Arielle Badger Newman, a Graduate Assistant for the Center for Public Policy & Administration.

Tourism is one of the most important aspects of Utah’s economy, being home to national parks, rich cultural heritage, and of course, the “Greatest Snow on Earth.”

In Utah, tourism accounts for 123,000 jobs in travel and tourism-related industries and generates $842 million in state and local tax revenues annually. In 2010 alone, 20.2 million visitors came to Utah and spent $6.5 billion.

This year’s Utah Intergovernmental Roundtable summit will address this vital topic with the Discover Utah tourism summit on Friday, September 21^st at Deer Valley, bringing together government, business, and nonprofits.

The conference will cover a number of subjects including marketing tourism in Utah, rural tourism, resort transportation, and the economic impact of the industry.

Dr. Susan Rugh, American History Professor at BYU specializing in the history of travel and tourism in America, will describe the history of marketing tourism of the state and give an overview of the current marketing underway to spread the word about Utah’s travel opportunities.

While Utah may be best known for its mountains and spectacular canyons, the more remote parts of the state have much to offer to the traveler in cultural heritage and pioneer history.  The summit will bring together experts on rural tourism, discussing opportunities for branding the authentic to encourage rural tourism.

A panel discussion will be held to discuss transportation along the Wasatch Front, with those in support of and opposed to SkiLink given the opportunity to voice their viewpoints, providing audience members a more in-depth look at a controversial topic.

The Summit will wrap up with a presentation from U.S. Travel Association on the power of travel and the importance of tourism to the U.S. economy.

As the travel industry outpaces the growth of the rest of the economy in employment recovery, now is the time to be talking about the critical role the industry plays in our state’s economy.  For information or registration for the Discover Utah summit, visit cppa.utah.edu/uir.

The event will be held on Friday, September 21, 2012 from 8am-1:30 p.m. at the Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley Resort. Register soon to reserve your space at http://cppa.utah.edu/uir/annual-summit.php. For more information, contact Kara Glaubitz at (801)585-7713 or kara.glaubitz@cppa.utah.edu.