Tourism, Movie Industry Grow In Utah

More and more people are discovering Utah's national parks, ski resorts and other attractions. The Utah Office of Tourism reports that the number of visitors was up last year, and the number of dollars travelers contributed to the economy was also up - by a whopping 6.1 percent over 2010.

At the same time, Utah continues to attract movie and TV production projects. "The Lone Ranger," starring Johnny Depp, was shot in southeastern Utah. The upcoming science fiction film "After Earth," starring Will Smith, was shot in the Moab area.

During the past fiscal year, 18 new films were shot in Utah, bringing some $33 million in direct spending into the state. That's up from 13 productions the year before.

This Salt Lake Tribune article has details about growth in Utah's film industry.

The Deseret News has this article about tourism in Utah. Below are excerpts.

Last year, the Beehive State took in around $6.9 billion on total travel spending from an estimated 22 million visitors — a 6.1 percent jump in revenue over 2010, according to the Utah Office of Tourism.

Travelers generated $842 million in state and local taxes, the state tourism office said. In 2010, Utah hosted more than 20 million visitors who spent $6.5 billion.

In an effort to bolster that interest and boost revenues, the state will spend $9 million on marketing this year, up from $7 million a year ago, (Office of Tourism Directory Leigh) von der Esch said.