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Understanding Visitor Experience, a Priority for the Utah Office of Tourism
Tourism industry health relies on satisfaction—from visitors, residents and stakeholders alike. The Utah Office of Tourism (UOT) partnered with Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute to better understand statewide and community resident sentiment, resulting in the 2022 sentiment report. The Office is conducting ongoing research to understand if and how this sentiment is evolving.
UOT plans to conduct visitor experience research in areas around the state. Priorities include understanding the root of satisfaction and possible disruptions that negatively impact experience. UOT has partnered with Southern Utah University for the first research phase, which will focus on visitor satisfaction in Utah’s Mighty Five® National Parks and is set to begin over Labor Day weekend. Park visitors will provide expectation and overall experience feedback to help inform destination marketing and management work. Additional research phases will roll out in other regions of the state—some with developed visitor economies, and others with burgeoning or yet to be developed visitor economies.
UOT was awarded Economic Development Administration American Rescue Plan Act funds, a portion of which is dedicated to conducting ongoing resident sentiment and visitor satisfaction research around the state through fiscal year 2027.
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