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Keith McCord reportingStarting Monday, you'll be able to see 15 different tourist sites in Salt Lake at one price, and you can leave your car parked in one place.
The Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with Gray Line Tours of Utah, is launching the "Salt Lake Connect Pass City Tour"-- the city's first hop-on, hop-off city tour.
You've seen this in other cities around the country: tour buses or trolleys make a continuous loop in and around a city, stopping at various attractions. For a fee, riders can take those buses all day and get off and on wherever and whenever they choose.
"This first stop is the Olympic Cauldron Park and Visitors Center at Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah," said George Gonzales, a driver and tour guide for Gray Line Tours of Utah. He is one of 10 drivers who will give visitors a little extra information and color on their trip around Salt Lake.
Beginning Monday, and going through Labor Day weekend, the Salt Lake Connect Pass City Tour will operate seven days a week. In a 90-minute period, the buses will stop at 15 different attractions, and you can get on or off the buses whenever you want.
"It gives the guests flexibility to see and do what they want. Everyone has diverse interests -- some people are history, some are culture. And they'll find something that appeals to them across the route," said Troy Rushton, director of tour and travel services for Gray Line Tours of Utah.
The Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau and Gray Line Tours of Utah have worked for more than a year in putting the Connect Pass tour program together. Gray Line has conducted similar tours in other cities throughout the country and knows that visitors and locals alike appreciate the flexibility.
Here's the best part: The price includes admission to all the attractions. The adult price, for example, is $35.
"And for that value, to think that I can get into Hogle Zoo (admission is included in that), Discovery Gateway, the planetarium; the admissions to all of those attractions are all included in that fee, including lunch at the Lion House. So, the value is incredible," said Scott Beck, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Connect Pass tour also provides yet another option to an already successful and vibrant tourism industry in Salt Lake. "What we do know is that this is going to make the experience just another part of the development of our tourism product. So whether that's a convention guest that has a couple of hours, and so anything that we do like that, we know it generates more interest," Beck said.
With this being the first season for the Connect Pass Tours, there's no way to tell yet how many people will actually take advantage, but the numbers will be crunched in September to learn which stops were more popular and whether the route needs to change.
You can buy the pass cards at the convention bureau, the airport and at several hotels downtown. The rides begin Monday.
For more information on the tours, click the related links.
E-mail: kmccord@ksl.com
