Governor Gary Herbert was in the Netherlands this week to promote Utah as a vacation destination and to celebrate a newly opened nonstop flight between Amsterdam and Salt Lake City. The event is part of a trade mission to Western Europe.
European tourists spend more money in Utah than any other international group. It’s also home to six of the top 20 destination countries for Utah business exports. Brett Heimburger, Utah director of International Trade and Diplomacy, sees room for growth.
“It’s a mature market, but it has some tremendous opportunities for Utah companies as far as expanding into that region,” Heimburger says.
On Monday, the Utah Office of Tourismheld a reception in Amsterdam to promote the state as a vacation destination and to bring attention to Delta Air Lines’ nonstop flight between Amsterdam and Salt Lake City.
“These nonstop flights are critical,” Heimburger says. “They’re critical because they really drive tourism, they really drive inward investment. So to have a nonstop flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake, we believe is going to open up a lot of doors.”
The Utah Office of Tourism will host a similar reception in Paris, which also has a nonstop flight to Salt Lake City. In addition to the Netherlands and France, the trip will include visits to Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. The trade mission ends June 16th.
