Utah
Utah Tourism Industry honors 2024 Hall of Fame inductees – Utah Business
Layton, UT — The Utah Office of Tourism (UOT) and the Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA) honored the 2024 Utah Tourism Hall of Fame inductees at the Utah Tourism Conference in Davis County.
The Utah Tourism Hall of Fame recipients are selected based on their history of contributions to the state’s tourism industry through leadership and long-standing contributions to their region or to the entire state. This year’s inductees include recently retired UOT Managing Director Vicki Varela, Visit Salt Lake CEO Kaitlin Eskelson, political consultant Des Barker and Temple Square Hospitality legend Neil Wilkinson.
“This year’s group of Hall of Fame inductees have left their mark on Utah and earned our industry’s deepest gratitude and appreciation,” said Natalie Randall, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism. “All Utahans have benefitted from their dedication to elevating the visitor economy.”
Beginning in 1985, the Hall of Fame has recognized 131 recipients who have contributed toward improving the national/international recognition of the positive aspects of vacationing in Utah, improved the understanding of Utah residents regarding the attractions of their state and the economic development benefits of tourism for the state, and facilitated efforts of improving the business climate for tourism-related businesses in Utah.
“The Utahns who make a living in our industry can often credit a mentor for helping them get to where they are now. All four of these inductees have greatly enhanced the careers and lives of many in our state,” said UTIA Executive Director Celina Sinclair. “Vicki, Kaitlin, Des and Neil are all legendary figures in the local tourism world and an inspiration to the current and future generations of tourism leaders.”
More on the 2024 Utah Tourism Hall of Fame Recipients:
Vicki Varela, Former Managing Director, Utah Office of Tourism
When she retired from her position as Managing Director of the Utah Office of Tourism last February, Varela left as one of the office’s most recognized leaders. Her 11-year tenure at the helm of the state’s tourism efforts has been called the most prosperous in UOT’s history.
Varela’s accomplishments include:
- Launching the Mighty Five® campaign, elevating Utah’s global brand presence
- Establishing the Red Emerald Strategic Plan to create and protect Utah travel experiences that are distinctive, unique to Utah and highly coveted
- Encouraging responsible recreation by visitors and residents with the Forever Mighty campaign
- Keeping Utah’s National Parks open during multiple federal government shutdowns
- Leading a faster rebound from the negative impacts of COVID-19 than competing states
- In 2016, was named US Travel’s State Tourism Director of the Year
- In 2022, was honored as the Salt Lake Chamber’s ATHENA Award recipient
Kaitlin Eskelson, President & CEO, Visit Salt Lake
Kaitlin Eskelson has been very busy since becoming Visit Salt Lake’s President & CEO in 2020. From involvement with expansions at the SLC International Airport, the National Hockey League’s arrival in Utah, to the 2034 Winter Olympics Announcement, Eskelson has been very much in the mix for Salt Lake’s dynamic tourism scene. Under her leadership, Salt Lake County has enjoyed a seven-fold increase in overnight room bookings, generating millions of dollars in Utah’s economy. Launching Sports Salt Lake, creating transit solutions for the Cottonwood Canyons and bringing back the Outdoor Retailer trade shows to the Salt Palace; all just a few major accomplishments Eskelson has added to her resume.
Des Barker, longtime political consultant, former Development Director, Park City Chamber
Des Barker, a longstanding and well-known political consultant, is a frequent face on Utah’s Capitol Hill. In addition to running his own consulting business, Barker spent years working in public service and education. He was formerly the Business and Economic Development Director for the Park City Chamber and also served on the University of Utah College of Social and Behavioral Science board. In the local tourism space, Barker has made his mark in ways that many do not see. The Tourism Works Political Action Committee, the Tourism Marketing Performance Fund and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Fund are all products of Barker’s work as a political advocate for the Utahns who depend on tourism.
Neil Wilkinson, Former Director of Marketing, Hospitality, Temple Square
For over 25 years, Wilkinson was as much a part of the Temple Square experience as the dinner rolls at The Lion House. As both the Director of Marketing and later the Director of Hospitality at Temple Square, Neil served an integral role in creating memorable moments for the many visitors who made a trip to one of Utah’s most popular attractions. Wilkinson also made an impact among his peers. A long list of tourism officials and leaders credit Wilkinson as a valuable mentor, particularly during his time as the President of the Utah Tourism Industry Association’s Board of Directors.
About Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA): The Utah Tourism Industry Association, formally the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition, started over 12 years ago and serves as the umbrella organization and advocate for Utah’s visitor economy. As a 501c6 nonprofit organization, UTIA strives to deliver exceptional value to its members ranging from a variety of tourism sectors. Offered are various member-driven public policy initiatives, business networking opportunities, marketing programs and educational offerings all to help members and the tourism industry succeed today and in the future. UTIA has been long-recognized as the tourism industry’s home base for education, advocacy and networking. UTIA makes it so “Tourism Works.” Learn more at utahtourism.org
About the Utah Office of Tourism (UOT): The Utah Office of Tourism’s (UOT) mission is to elevate life in Utah through responsible tourism stewardship. We do this through marketing, stewardship and development. Marketing: UOT curates messaging that inspires visitation, supports local businesses and builds the Utah economy. Stewardship: UOT manages visitation statewide and supports the responsible discovery of Utah. Development: UOT partners with local communities to enhance and develop their visitor economies to benefit residents and visitors. Learn more at visitutah.com and travel.utah.gov
Utah
‘2.5 minutes of terror’: Passengers sue Delta, alleging crew flew into dangerous weather despite warnings, injuring dozens
Twenty passengers allege the airline ignored repeated weather warnings before the flight hit severe turbulence that sent dozens of people to hospitals
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Delta airplane travels down the runway at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City last March. Passengers on a Delta flight last July are suing the airline over injuries suffered because of violent turbulence.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
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