By Neha Mehrotra
Utah stands out as one of the United States’ most captivating off-the-beaten-track destinations, boasting nature’s unparalleled beauty, vast expanses, and awe-inspiring landscapes. What sets a journey to Utah apart is its remarkable versatility, allowing visitors to tailor their experiences to suit any budget. Capitalising on its irresistible allure, Utah has been steadily drawing visitors from India, ranking as its 8th largest market. In an effort to further bolster tourism from India, the Utah Office of Tourism has been partnering with local Indian tour operators and travel agents to make the travel experience rich and according to the preferences of Indian travellers.
In an exclusive interview with PEAKLIFE, Zach Fyne, Global Markets Specialist,provided valuable insights into Utah’s proactive initiatives aimed at elevating the travel experience for Indian visitors and shed light on the state’s future tourism plans, offering a comprehensive glimpse into the captivating allure of this off-the-beaten-track destination.
How important is the Indian market for Utah?
Zach Fyne: India was ranked #8 in overall spending amongst Utah’s top international markets in 2019 before we had in-market representation, a marketing budget, and outreach programmes to the Indian consumer, so we always knew India had huge potential once we started to fully engage with the market in 2021.
Considering that in less than four years, the total spend from all Indian visitors has doubled to $15 million and our total visitors have increased by 25% in 2023, we see huge potential with the market considering the latest trends in the Indian market all align with what our state excels at with self-drive itineraries, beautiful landscapes, national parks, scenic drives, dark sky viewing, and open spaces. With the slow return of Chinese visitors to international markets, we’re looking at the rise of India’s growing population and boom in international travel as a way to balance out our Asian market visitation.
2. What are some of the unique attractions that have proven to be particularly appealing to Indian tourists?
Zach Fyne: Utah’s unparalleled landscapes set it apart as a destination like no other, promising awe-inspiring vistas and open spaces found nowhere else on the planet. We are confident the Indian market will be delighted by our Mighty 5® national parks and 46 state parks, skiing the Greatest Snow on Earth® at our 15 world-class ski resorts, and taking in the night sky at the 24 internationally- recognised dark sky areas and parks, along with everything in between our 28 scenic byways.
In the state of Utah, we’ve seen glamorous camping (glamping) sites pop up in practically every single town, and this is a great way for couples or families to disconnect in nature amongst breathtaking scenery. We’re celebrating our 100th anniversary since Hollywood first filmed in our state with a year of film tourism (set jetting) itineraries, events, and activations to showcase the thousands of movies that have used Utah as a backdrop over this time. And for the fans of slow travel, Rocky Mountaineer offers a way to take a scenic train from Denver, Colorado, to Moab, Utah, to take in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and red rocks before arriving in our state.
3. Could you share some insights or initiatives to enhance the overall experience for Indian travellers?
Zach Fyne: As we continue in our third year in the market, it’s also important to reach the portion of the market that prefers a ‘slow travel’ way of exploring our state. We’ve enriched the experience for Indian travellers by highlighting attractions beyond the mainstream, including state parks, national monuments, and mountain towns in Northern Utah. By promoting itineraries and disseminating information across each of our outreach channels, in addition to partnering with local Indian tour operators and travel agents, we’ve worked to increase knowledge about unique glamping accommodations, beautiful landscapes outside of the national parks, and regionally-focused itineraries that explore more experiences in each destination, which will ultimately help the Indian really come to appreciate the beauty and benefits of additional places across our state.
4. What steps are you taking to make Utah a sustainable destination?
Zach Fyne: Launched in 2019, Forever Mighty is an initiative by the Utah Office of Tourism to ensure resilient destinations and sustainable growth in Utah. With rising visitation and awareness of all that Utah has to offer, it’s more important than ever to protect our treasured places, communities and cultures. It all starts by educating visitors and residents about responsible travel to minimise impacts on our state’s cultural and natural resources. That encompasses a wide range of actions, from celebrating native communities to dark sky preservation to visitor preparedness education.
5. Lastly, what’s next?
Zach Fyne: Looking forward, Salt Lake City has been chosen as the host for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games, marking a significant milestone for our state. With enhanced air connectivity, including the doubling of international gates and the prospect of new international routes, we aim to expand access to Utah. In regards to dark skies, continuing on with Utah having the highest concentration of internationally certified dark sky parks and places in the world, all four Under Canvas’ properties across Utah—Under Canvas Zion, Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell-Grand Staircase and Moab—have been recognised as the world’s first official DarkSky-certified resorts for their outstanding night quality.
We’re excited to announce that a USD $2 billion golf, retail and hospitality mecca, Black Desert Resort, will be opening in Fall 2024 and will host the PGA and LPGA Tour’s Black Desert Championships. And along with the theme of Utah being the Glamping Capitol of the World, we’re excited to promote the new mirror houses at East Zion Resort and 60+ Sky Domes courtesy of Clear Sky Resorts that will feature floor-to-ceiling ultra-panoramic glass inspired by luxury resorts in the Lapland Arctic & Arabian Desert.
