DUCHESNE COUNTY

On June 11th and 12th the Community and Partner Relations team was able to spend time in Duchesne County, and meet with county leaders, as well as Roosevelt City administrators.

Commissioner Irene Hansen has long been a champion of tourism for the county, and Ryan Lundstrom serves as their Tourism Director. Among the best tourism assets in Duchesne County is Starvation Reservoir which often has capacity crowds in its campgrounds throughout summer. 

Roosevelt also has a great events center, which is really helping to put the small city on the map. In conjunction with those events, they’ve developed an innovative program to encourage visitors to try local restaurants. At events such as golf tournaments, each visitor is given a trio of five dollar “gift certificates”, one each for a variety of dining experiences. Once the customer uses the gift certificate, the restaurants can then redeem them with the city for the full face value. This program has been wildly successful, with roughly 20 thousand dollars annually being reimbursed. The real benefit, of course, is the fact that the five dollar gift certificate typically results in a much, much larger sale for the restaurants, and keeps customers in Duchesne County.

Like most of Utah, housing for visitors and workers alike is a pinch point in Duchesne County. Economic Development Director Deborah Herrin has recently updated zoning codes to allow for auxiliary dwelling units throughout much of Duchesne City. It’ll be interesting to see how this might impact their area, and tourism in general.

While exploring the area’s offerings, we drove north into the Uinta Mountains which are especially verdant following the last two strong winters. Outdoor recreation opportunities abound in this part of the county. Stillwater Dam was a highlight. During high water years, the water cascades down the spillway in dramatic fashion, sometimes drawing big crowds. Stillwater’s boat ramps have also been upgraded in the last year or so allowing for more use of the reservoir, and nearby, great fishing and camping spots are available. One of the state’s longest-running dude ranches is also found in this area.

Duchesne County officials tell us they’re constantly asked about Skinwalker Ranch. Its reputation as a paranormal hot spot has grown in recent years due to a popular television series. The ranch is technically not in Duchesne County, but the road to access it is. The ranch is privately owned and visitors are sometimes disappointed they can’t access the ranch. It’s also worth noting that many would-be visitors end up driving or parking on land near Skinwalker Ranch which is owned by the Ute Tribe. This can result in costly parking tickets or trespassing citations. There is a lot of work to be done in visitor education in this area.

Elsewhere in Duchesne County, trail development is a priority, and so are community events, to unify the spirit of cooperation between the county’s two largest population centers, Roosevelt City and Duchesne City.

PARK CITY AND SUMMIT COUNTY

Our team was also able to spend time in Park City ahead of the Utah Office of Tourism Board Meeting held on June 14th.

Visit Park City recently completed a rebranding effort which has been well-received by the public. Their organization is a well-polished machine with so many good projects and programs underway. Yes, Park City has a brisk visitor economy, but it’s worth noting that they have an eye on even small details that impact their visitor economy. One such project highlights the owners of small businesses by sharing their stories online and through an ongoing article in the local paper, the Park Record. The idea is not just to boost business, but also to create more understanding for visitors who might be arriving at busy or challenging times. This paves the way for visitors to become advocates of small businesses, rather than critics.

Visit Park City has also merged operations with the Park City Chamber of Commerce. It’s an innovative step that might work well in other communities where the economy is closely tied to tourism. For the business owner, it can mean joining one organization for leadership and guidance rather than joining both a chamber and a tourism office, which might have competing calendars or redundant communications.

Like many communities around the state, Park City opted to utilize funding from the Utah Office of Tourism to develop a ten year plan with the Coraggio Group in 2019. As a result of their study, they hired a full time sustainability staffer and are making great strides in that area.

A couple members of our team were able to experience an e-bike history tour offered through White Pine Touring. This is a fun and effective way to explore local history while also being introduced to more options for things to do in town. Perhaps bike shops elsewhere in the state could add something similar to their offerings.

Our Community and Partner Relations team, as well as several board members, also took a short walking tour of Park City’s Main Street provided by Park City Ghost Tours. This long-running tour has been popular among visitors as an after-hours activity.

Like the rest of Utah, Park City is anxiously awaiting the formal announcement of the host city for the 2030 and 2034 Olympic Winter Games, which is expected later this month. There is no doubt they’ll be ready to host events and visitors. The Utah Olympic Park is still a top notch facility providing athletic training, as well as great visitor experiences ranging from outdoor concerts to interactive museum exhibits.

Read more Partner Highlights on the road here.