Highway 89 Construction, Canyonlands Guide and Impact of Tourism

US Hwy 89 is a major artery running north-south through the middle of Utah. It provides access to many of our towns and recreation areas. In southern Utah it connects with Scenic Byway Hwy 12, the gateway to Bryce Canyon, and with Hwy 9, which is the major access road through Zion Park.

The Deseret News has details here. Below are excerpts.

On Wednesday, UDOT began completely closing 3 miles of the highway in both directions, from Kanab north to the Kanab Creek Bridge. Closures will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays until about April 11.

The highway will be open to single-lane traffic for the remaining 21 hours each day and also open on weekends.

Depending on a driver’s origin and destination, suitable detours could take as much time as waiting. The Kane County Office of Tourism, community volunteers and local businesses will be offering some extra hospitality to travelers willing to wait it out.

Plan ahead if you will be traveling in that area.

Guide to Adventure in Canyonlands

National Parks Traveler has this interesting article giving suggestions for a trip to Canyonlands National Park. It recommends people visit these specific areas:

• Horseshoe Canyon
• Chesler Park
• Newspaper Rock
• White Rim Trail
• Cataract Canyon rafting

Those are all great options – well worth the trip.

Impact of Tourism

Deseret News has this article about the impact tourism has on the U.S. and Utah economies. Below are excerpts. Read the entire article.

In more than half of the states in the U.S., the travel and tourism industry is one of the top three employers. The impact of travel and tourism on the labor market cannot be overstated. Providing much-needed job growth since the beginning of the recovery in 2010, the industry employs approximately eight million people in the United States. Tourism is on track for its best year since the recession, and 2012 marked a return to pre-recession levels. Through the first half of 2013, U.S. tourism and travel output grew nearly 3 percent year-over-year, outpacing the rest of the U.S. GDP.

However, according to the U.S. Travel Association, the recent government shutdown wiped out $152 million a day in economic output due to lost travel-related activity. For instance, the federal shutdown closed 401 national park areas, including 13 in Utah. Our national parks host more than 280 million visitors each year. Not surprisingly, park closures negatively affect the economy and harm countless related industries.