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Tourism director reports steady visitation, $95,000 state marketing grant and pilot destination development program
Summary
Tourism staff told commissioners that transient room tax and occupancy are slightly down from 2024 but restaurant tax is up after changes clarifying prepared foods; the county received a $95,000 matching marketing grant and is participating in a Utah Office of Tourism destination development pilot program.
Iron County Tourism Director (Maria) briefed the commission on Sept. 8 about recent tourism revenue and program activity: transient room tax (TRT) collections and occupancy are slightly below 2024 year‑to‑date figures, while restaurant tax collections are approximately 11% higher than the prior year, driven in part by clarified definitions that capture prepared foods at grocery stores and gas stations.
Maria said Iron County is performing better than some neighboring counties that rely more on international visitation and national‑park traffic. She told the board the county received a $95,000 award from the Utah Office of Tourism for marketing; the award is a matching grant, requiring the county to match $95,000.
The county is also participating in a seven‑month destination development pilot with the Utah Office of Tourism that pairs a destination expert with four local businesses to create bookable experiences; Iron County is one of three counties selected for the pilot. Maria said she will follow the businesses through implementation and that the businesses must produce bookable products or forfeit their deposits.
Maria said fall advertising is underway through digital channels (streaming, connected TV and digital audio) targeted outside the local market; she also said the county hosted a statewide destination development workshop in Cedar City focused on agritourism and dark‑sky product development with roughly 200 attendees.
Ending: Maria said staff will continue to track TRT and occupancy and will return with updates as the pilot program and marketing campaign proceed.
