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3 Questions with Bob Evans: Vicki Varela talks tourism in Utah

Posted at 10:43 PM, May 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-22 08:51:57-04

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah: Life Elevated.

That's the theme of Utah's vigorous effort to attract tourists to the state, and by all accounts the campaign is working very well.

In 2014, travelers spent nearly $8 billion in Utah and generated more than a billion dollars in tax revenue. This week Bob Evans sat down with Vicki Varela, the managing director of Utah's Office of Tourism, to ask 3 Questions about this major industry in the Beehive State.

  1. What are some of the out of the way places in Utah that get less traffic than the more popular destinations like Arches or Zion National Parks?
  2. How much do Utah's liquor laws really affect tourism?
  3. A recent study indicated that members of the LDS Church feel the tourism industry has greater sway with the Utah legislature than the LDS Church does: Is that how you see it too?

For the extended interview with Varela, see below: