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County hears tourism briefing: national international-travel losses cited; local TRT holding steady
Summary
A county meeting briefing cited an $8.5 billion national loss in international travel and warned state-level TRT grant pools could tighten, but Daggett Countys local Transient Room Tax receipts were reported as stable.
Speaker 3 reported to the Daggett County Commission that a recent published figure showed the United States experienced an $8,500,000,000 loss in international travel in 2025, and cautioned the county could feel downstream effects through reduced state TRT (transient room tax) grant pools. "The state of Utah is doing quite well because we have a lot of outdoor recreationists that are moving towards us," Speaker 3 said, noting Salt Lake City has seen increases in international travel even as other areas decline.
The briefing explained why state-level TRT revenue shifts matter to smaller counties: some grant programs that fund outdoor-recreation projects and related tourism promotion draw from statewide TRT pools. Speaker 3 said Daggett Countys local TRT "is holding pretty steady," and that local grant access might be affected if the state pool declines.
The speaker also described tariff-driven cost pressures on southern Utah manufacturers of outdoor gear. Citing a case of a local maker (last name given in the transcript as "Sol," operating in Zions), Speaker 3 said input costs could rise roughly 25%, a change the business was partly absorbing but that would likely be passed to buyers if sustained. "He will go out of business if he weathers that completely himself," Speaker 3 said, describing the businesss vulnerability.
Speaker 3 offered a numeric estimate for Daggett Countys share of international travel as "0.002" in the transcript; the speaker characterized this as a very small proportion and said the countys own TRT has remained steady.
Why it matters: reduced state-level tourism revenue could shrink grant support for county projects and promotions even if local receipts hold steady. County officials discussed nearby events (a PRC rodeo and a seniors pancake breakfast) as ongoing local activity, and flagged tariff exposure for some regional manufacturers.
The commission did not take action on tourism funding at the meeting and moved on to financial items on the agenda.
