Utah
is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts! Whether you come to ski or snowboard
"The Greatest Snow on Earth®", to mountain bike Slickrock, to
take a summer whitewater rafting splash down Cataract Canyon, or to visit the
Old West with a tour of outlaw hideouts and stickups, Utah has adventure waiting
for you. Gather your family, pack your bags, and let us help you plan your Utah
trip. With connections to all the outfitters and lodging providers in the state,
Utah.com is committed to helping you plan
the perfect vacation to any of Utah's best destinations. From National Parks,
to eclectic boutiques, Historic Temple Square, spa vacations, and extreme adventure,
Utah will surprise you with its versatility. Let us show you Utah.
The
State Division of Travel Development is Utah's state tourism office, also
known as the Utah Travel Council (UTC). We are a division of the Department
of Community and Economic Development and our primary mission is to "make
Utah a better place to live by improving the economic contribution of tourism."UTC
operates several programs to assist Utah's tourism industry including marketing
and advertising, research and planning, publications, information services,
media relations and interagency cooperative programs. Through our public-private
publishing partnership with Utah.com, we also
help tourists plan and experience the many resources Utah has to offer.
Most of Utah lies on a plateau
higher than 4,000 feet above sea level. The geology of this region takes on
an amazing variety of shapes and colors. Elevations rise and fall dramatically
in the shape of mountains, buttes, and plateaus, the highest reaching over 13,000
feet! Within this varied landscape are hidden treasures and experiences that
appeal to everyone--from the rugged, solitude-seeking explorer to the family
wanting a relaxing getaway. Utah has something for everyone.
Utah's
rich history reaches all the way back to the age when dinosaurs ruled the eastern
part of the state; living and dying, then leaving behind a wealth of fossils.
Ancient Puebloan cultures raised corn in southern Utah from about 1 to 1300
A.D., and left remnants of their art, lives, and beliefs scattered across the
state. Forbearers of the Ute and Navajo Tribes roamed the region for centuries
before the arrival of explorers from outside the region. Later, Catholic Fathers
Dominguez and Escalante explored and documented Utah's terrain, followed by
other Spanish explorers and Mexican traders. In the 1820's fur trappers, including
Jedediah Smith, William Ashley and Jim Bridger, discovered northern Utah's abundant
trapping opportunities. During 1847, 1,637 Mormons migrated to the Salt Lake
Valley seeking religious freedom, followed by soldiers, miners, and Spanish
sheep herders. Today, Utahns, regardless of varied ethnic and religious backgrounds,
share a sense that Utah's past is an important part of the state's future.
The
Division of Travel Development provides journalists with information, images
and itineraries for Utah destinations. Resources include an online newsroom,
news releases, group familiarization tours, story ideas, events calendars, photo
CDs, video B-roll, brochures, travel guides and contacts.
Research and planning efforts
by the Utah Travel Council cover visitor and economic indicator profiles, market
analysis, specialty surveys reports and many other tourism and recreation-related
topics, as well as our "Barometer," a quarterly newsletter that summarizes
the research and planning activities of the Utah
Division of Travel Development.
