Click here to view this message in a browser window.

Visit Salt Lake
Member News
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
March 2020

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Relax, Breathe and Plan Accordingly

Despite the fact there are no domestic travel restrictions implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 being passed through the community in Utah, it is rightfully top of mind for many industries, including our travel industry here in Salt Lake. International restrictions have been placed on China, Italy, Iran and Korea, and these are sure to have at least a temporary impact on our collective business.

These uncertainties have prompted two conventions scheduled for March in Salt Lake to alter their plans. Domo has transformed its 2020 Domopalooza—scheduled to be held at the Salt Palace March 24-27—to an online event. And Qualtrics—scheduled later this week, March 10-12—is working to reschedule its Summit to this fall. No other meeting or convention slated to be in Salt Lake has cancelled, but the situation remains fluid and we are reaching out to our meeting professionals, event planners and visitors daily and will share updates impacting our industry in Salt Lake as they become available.

In the meantime, we believe knowledge and facts can be helpful in allaying any fears. And in that regard, you and your associates are in the best positon to stay informed about developments with the Coronavirus that may affect you. We are confident the Utah Department of Health’s website is the best hub of accurate and up to date information that may impact our community.

If you get five minutes, this article from Scientific American, Preparing for Coronavirus to Strike the U.S., provides a useful perspective on where we are, what we know and the variables we may encounter.

As always, thank you for your continued support of our efforts!

Cliff Doner
Interim President/CEO

March YOY Hotel Occupancy Forecast

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Visit Salt Lake has developed occupancy forecasting models by using STR Analytics daily hotel data. STR Analytics produces a ‘Daily Trend Report’ (DTR). The DTR is a report of hotels’ daily percentage occupancy, average daily rate, and resulting RevPAR. Visit Salt Lake has purchased a subscription to DTR for Salt Lake in two sets. One for total Salt Lake County (approx. 19,700 rooms), and the other for the Salt Lake County Convention District (“SLCD,” approx. 6,400 rooms). By simple interpolation, we derive the data set for Salt Lake hotels that are located outside the SLCD (approx. 13,300 rooms).

VSL has DTR information from January 1, 2012, to the present. Hotels in the SLCD are located in the downtown area, and 98% of their hotel reservation systems are directly linked to STR Analytics. This enables STR to produce its DTR with a high degree of accuracy and provides reliable insight into the effects of events in Salt Lake. Approximately 80% of the hotels inside Salt Lake County but outside of the SLCD link their reservation systems to STR Analytics. The other hotels participate in surveys conducted by STR.

The graph above shows hotel occupancy forecasts for March 2020. Occupancy forecasts are estimated by the number of convention attendees, day-of-week, seasonality, and location.

There are two graphs for each forecasted month:

  • Hotel occupancy inside the SLCD
  • Hotel occupancy outside the SLCD

The graphs also show historic year-over-year occupancy rates, convention dates, and claimed convention attendance.

Downtown Salt Lake

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Salt Lake's Neighborhoods:
Downtown Salt Lake

As the heart and soul of Salt Lake City, downtown offers all the delightful foodstuffs, watering holes, urban adventures, art, music, and after-dusk fun you’d expect from a proper city—it’s just set at the base of towering peaks like a good mountain town should be. (Fun tip: you can set out on a hike or mountain bike ride directly from the state capitol building.)

Downtown has truly come into its own in recent years, with so much to do year-round that the city center is a destination for both locals and tourists. Catch an open-air concert on a blissfully warm summer night, wander the bustling farmer’s market (bring your appetite), stroll the city’s finest art galleries, sample a taste of farm-to-table fare, check out a Utah Jazz NBA game, or find your favorite new mixologist.

The city makes it easy to get around—city bus rides and TRAX train rides are free within the downtown zone, and Green Bike rental stations dot the landscape. Which means you can get from historic pioneer architecture to the hippest speakeasy in town in three minutes flat. 

WATCH THE VIDEO
Midvalley

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Salt Lake's Neighborhoods - Midvalley

Operating at a slower pace than the Salt Lake City area, the Midvalley offers quick access to both downtown's energetic urban atmosphere and the mountain resort's outdoor recreation opportunities. But don't worry, there still are plenty of fun things to do and amazing restaurants and bars to enjoy in each of the Midvalley neighborhoods. We'll help you find all of them.

WATCH THE VIDEO
Coupons & Special Offers

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip of the Month:
Best SEO Practices

Following simple Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices can go a long way to bump visibility. Here are a few things to consider as your refresh your listing’s content for spring.

We encourage you to write long-form copy (over 300 words) that is keyword heavy. There are plenty of online resources that can help identify what is trending and aid your research. Your image captions are just as important so don’t miss this easy opportunity for added exposure.

However, word count shouldn’t be your only focus. Google is doing everything it can to understand content the way humans do, so your copy should be well written, engaging, current, informative, and if there are multiple facets to your business, broken into smaller sections with appropriate titles. Good structure and well thought out content can make a world difference!

If you haven’t updated your listing copy in a while, take a few moments and check out this guide and create a refreshed game plan. Then attend one of our upcoming trainings to find out how to best implement your new strategies.

Do you know of another resource that was helpful? Feel free to reach out to Miranda Maisto.

Pioneer Theatre Company

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Featured Member:
Pioneer Theatre Company

Visit Salt Lake is always encouraging our residents to be a tourist in their own backyard, so if you like professional regional theatre then you need look no farther than Pioneer Theatre Company.

Appropriately located at Broadway and 1400 East, Pioneer Theatre Company (or PTC as it is known by the locals) was established as a theatre-in-residence at the University of Utah in 1962 and, since that time, has performed productions just leaving Broadway, Utah premiers, new works and plays and musicals not seen anywhere else in Utah. And it’s not just the actors who are talented; producing seven plays each season, the company even creates its own costumes and scenery on-site.

While you're attending one of their many award-winning performances, be sure to check out The Loge Art Gallery located on the second floor of the building where guests can view art selected from local painters, photographers and sculptors to go with each play of the season.

There are three productions remaining in the 2019-20 schedule, with the season ending production of “Something Rotten” May 8-23, so take a trip to the University of Utah to enjoy first-class entertainment by this local gem of a theatre company.

LEARN MORE
SLC Airport Volunteer Ambassador Program

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SLC Airport Volunteer Ambassador Program

The Salt Lake City International Airport launched a Volunteer Ambassador Program to assist passengers traveling through SLC Airport. They are looking for individuals who are customer-service oriented to assist passengers in answering questions, providing directions and ensuring passengers have an enjoyable experience while in SLC. Volunteers must be able to commit at least once a week for a four-hour period.

FIND OUT MORE

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SpringHill Suites Moab

Meet Our New Members!

Upcoming Member Events:

 

STAY TUNED

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Upcoming Events

Mar 6  An R-Rated Magic Show
Mar 7 Hippie Sabotage - Direction of Dreams Tour
Mar 12 Birds & Brew: Lights Out Launch
Mar 16 & 17 An Irish Evening
Mar 21 Post Malone - Runaway Tour
Now - May 3 Pompeii: The Exhibition

SEE MORE


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Connect Pass
Visit Salt Lake Blog
Travel Planner
Promotions & Deals
Hotel Bookings
Upcoming Events

 

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Blog

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    Salt Lake Visitors Guide  
   

You are subscribed to Visit Salt Lake's newsletters as: mmaisto@visitsaltlake.com

In Partnership with Salt Lake County

Copyright © 2019 Visit Salt Lake
Our address is 90 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, USA
 
If you do not wish to receive future email, click here.
(You can also send your request to Visitor Services at the street address above.)