Coronavirus: Even Utah Has The Jitters

Above, Checkerboard Mesa in Zion National Park Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Utah's tourism industry is concerned about any possible impacts from the coronavirus.

Tourism is one of Utah's biggest industries and the Governor has declared a state of emergency.

According to the St. George News:

ST. GEORGE — Locations in southwest Utah were among the top five most visited by tourists in 2018. Tourism is one of the state’s major industries and there are concerns that the continuing spread of the coronavirus will negatively impact the industry. 

The St. George, Springdale and Cedar City area ranked second, third and fourth place among the most visited places in 2018, according to the Utah Tourism Office. They were sandwiched between the Salt Lake City and Provo/Orem areas listed at first and fifth place. 

Tourism overall brought $9.75 billion to Utah in 2018. In Washington County, dollars spent by tourists who stay in Washington County were estimated to bring in $600 million annually, according to Kevin Lewis, director of the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. 

On Friday, Gov. Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency in preparation of COVID-19 cases in Utah. The Utah Department of Health announced the same day that the state had its first confirmed case of COVID-19. The health department reported the patient, who lives in Davis County, contracted the virus while on the Grand Princess cruise ship.

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