This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. As COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift and the weather warms up, people want to get outside and safely enjoy Utah. Kaitlin Eskelson, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake, is here to tell us about Utah’s travel and tourism industry.
KAITLIN ESKELSON
As Utah’s 8th largest industry, the travel and tourism industry is a key economic driver that provides jobs and income for Utah residents. Travel and tourism businesses support one in 11 Utah jobs. Salt Lake’s annual $4.5 billion visitor economy equates to $1,166 in tax relief for each household within Salt Lake County.
The new Salt Lake City airport is now fully operational, which will bring more visitors to Utah. Additionally, we are ensuring the safety of travelers and locals for staycations by sponsoring Salt Lake hotels, venues and attractions with Global Biorisk Facility Accreditation.
Although the conference meeting industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors by COVID-19, we are on our way to recovery! We recently had our fourth largest booking year for future years, and the new Hyatt Regency convention hotel will open in the fall of 2022.
Our goal is to make Salt Lake County one of the nation’s safest places to visit and conduct business.
DEREK MILLER
We love our state, and we are grateful for organizations like Visit Salt Lake that make enjoying Utah an easy experience. Learn more at visitsaltlake.com. I’m Derek Miller with the Salt Lake Chamber, and this is Speaking on Business.
