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SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Gary Herbert is hoping to bring more tourists into the state by increasing the number of dollars the state will spend on marketing.
State officials say they see a major return on their investment from every advertising dollar they spend.
"Last year, tourists spent $7.4 billion in Utah. That translated into $960 million in tax revenues," said Utah Office of Tourism, Film and Global Branding Managing Director Vicki Varela.
She said the office could be getting an extra $3 million added to its previous $12 million advertising budget if Herbert's proposal passes. With that $15 million, she expects the state to get $1 billion in tax revenue from out-of-staters.
"[Those are] taxes that tourists contribute into our schools and into improving our roads," she said.
Utah already has an aggressive marketing plan in place in some states, Varela said.
"We do very intense campaigns on the east and west coasts. If you walk into Penn Station in New York City, you'll see 22 digital billboards that give the Utah ski message," she said.
If you walk into Penn Station in New York City, you'll see 22 digital billboards that give the Utah ski message.
–Vicki Varela
With the extra money, Utah would be able to advertise in international markets like China, and the tourism office plans on expanding into American markets that haven't really been tapped into yet, like Boston.
"We aren't spending a whole lot of money in that market, yet, to try to persuade them to book a flight," Varela said.
