Recommends building out tourism capacity during peak visitation months and establishing infrastructure and partnerships to strengthen year-round tourism
PANGUITCH, UTAH – The Garfield County Office of Tourism (GCOT) released a market capacity study on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. GCOT commissioned this study to establish a clear picture of the present visitor economy in the county, allowing the GCOT to plan growth and expansion opportunities within the county throughout the year. Specifically, this study addresses the costs and enthusiasm associated with expanding the “shoulder season” which is defined as the off-peak time frame of the calendar year (November to March).
“During the stakeholder meetings and through survey data, it became clear that while there was interest in year-round tourism, the preferred use of marketing dollars is to increase visitors during peak visitation months, including March and November. During these months, more businesses have staff capacity to serve visitors and therefore would like to see increased visitation during that time period,” said Falyn Owens, Director of the Garfield County Office of Tourism.
In addition to the study, which consisted of a survey delivered to residents via email and text and in-person stakeholder meetings, the county was given recommendations for next steps. These recommendations include:
- Building out Garfield County’s summer months and expanding those months to include March and November.
- Beginning the process of establishing partnerships with businesses, tourism, and the State to increase facilities and capabilities to welcome year-round staff and tourists.
- Educating Utah residents and surrounding states about Bryce Canyon National Park.
- Aligning and leveraging internal and external efforts and resources to achieve regional significant impact around tourism and economic development.
- Creating a GCOT booking portal to establish both data collection and promotional opportunities.
To access the entire market capacity study, please visit: https://www.garfield.utah.gov/home/showdocument?id=2090&t=638052272597237798.
– Garfield County Office of Tourism