Utah’s top tourism official says at a time when the number of people visiting national parks is skyrocketing, the Trump administration and Congress should step up their funding of the National Park Service.
“The federal government needs to make an investment,” says Vicki Varela, director of the state’s office of tourism, film and global branding.
Varela oversees Visit Utah’s campaign for the Mighty 5 national parks and Life Elevated brand. She says there’s no doubt visitation is increasing at all the state’s national parks, but funding for them has not kept apace.
Take Zion’s National Park, which saw a record 4.3 million visitors last year, becoming the fifth most visited park in the United States.
“[That’s a] 40 percent increase in visitation over the last five years, accompanied by a 5 percent cut in budget. That’s not a strategy for ‘America’s greatest idea,’ to quote Wallace Stegner,” says Varela.
She says the National Park Service, too, could be more creative in finding ways to manage the congestion and crowds that have overwhelmed some local communities. She suggested strategies like raising prices on some annual passes or automating entry.
Varela spoke at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s monthly newsmaker breakfast Wednesday, discussing tourism trends, Utah’s liquor laws and the controversial Bears Ears national monument.
Varela says she attended a dinner with Secretary Ryan Zinke last Sunday as he began his tour of Bears Ears, part of the Trump administration’s 45-day review of national monuments.
“I am highly optimistic that whatever specifics go into this, that we can count on the fact that outdoor recreation — public access to outdoor recreation — and that cultural resources will be protected,” she says.
Varela says although there’s an information page on Visit Utah about Bears Ears, they’re not ready to promote the monument as a tourist destination because it lacks infrastructure, clearly marked trails and staff support.
