Visit Ogden flags slower winter, strong events-driven summer and readies curling championship

Sarah Toiver, Visit Ogden's presenter, told the council the destination experienced uneven 2025, with federal travel disruptions and weather-driven declines in ski visitation offset by a successful summer events season and expanded sports tourism. "We did finish 2025 down about 6% in transient room tax collections, up 2% in restaurant tax, and 1% in lease vehicle tax for a total of 9,268,556," Toiver said.

Toiver said 2024 tourism tax collections rose about $200,000 to $8.678 million and cited published estimates that visitor spending increased to roughly $559 million in 2024, with Visit Ogden expecting additional gains for 2025. She emphasized that residents account for about 89% of local sales-tax receipts while visitors provide about 11%, which translates to more than $77 million in visitor-generated sales-tax revenue for Weber County.

The presentation highlighted four strategic pillars guiding Visit Ogden's work: marketing and sales, community engagement and stewardship, product development, and advocacy and policy. Toiver said the office is shifting toward year-round activation and market diversification, noting sports and cultural festivals as key drivers of shoulder-season visitation.

Council members pressed Toiver on logistics for the men's World Curling Championship and legacy planning tied to future Olympic bids. Toiver said volunteers and many operational roles are being managed by the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation and local partners. "The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation reached out about a year ago when the previously selected hosting country had to rescind their acceptance of the event," she said, urging residents to buy tickets and volunteer at WorldCurling.com.

Toiver also described venue improvements: a major renovation (described in the presentation as a $20 million community project), a new hard floor at the Golden Spike Event Center to host dance and cheer competitions, and near-complete updates to the ice sheet funded in part by Olympic legacy allocations. She said Visit Ogden supported 55 pieces of group business in 2025, bringing more than 40,000 attendees and nearly $20 million in immediate economic impact, with over $1.5 million in county venue revenue.

Toiver closed by noting a reduced 2026 budget after the organization moved to a percentage-based funding model with Weber County and transient room tax finished down for the year. She said Visit Ogden will continue to measure success beyond occupancy and rates, incorporating resident sentiment, environmental stewardship and cultural vitality into its evaluation.

The council thanked Toiver for the report and asked that staff return with more details as projects and event planning progress.