LAYTON -- Tourism tax revenues in Weber and Davis counties are on the rise as the area has become more recognized by travelers and tourists.
Weber County experienced a 2.9 percent increase in its tourism tax revenue through Oct. 31.
Davis County reports an 8.7 percent overall increase in its tourism tax revenue during the same time period.
Tourism tax revenue is generated from a combination of the restaurant tax, transient (hotel) room tax and vehicle lease or car rental tax.
"Both (counties) are becoming more and more recognized," said Sara Toliver, president and CEO of the Ogden/Weber Convention & Visitor's Bureau. "It's nice to have a great product to sell."
The reports from Weber and Davis counties for 2011 are especially welcome, coming after the Utah Office of Tourism's report Nov. 29 of a 4.7 percent gain in state tourism revenues in 2010.
This year, Weber County is experiencing gains in its car rental and restaurant taxes.
Weber's car rental tax revenue is up by nearly $30,000, Toliver said, and its restaurant tax revenue jumped nearly $60,000.
One reason Weber County's restaurant tax revenue is up, she said, is new restaurant openings.
The restaurant tax -- 1 percent of the total bill -- makes up the bulk of the county's tourism tax fund, Toliver said.
Davis County is also enjoying gains in its restaurant trade.
The tourism tax collected from Davis restaurants this year compared with 2010 has jumped from $1,930,723 to $2,017,176, said Davis County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings.
The transient room tax revenue is also up in Davis County, going from $723,986 in 2010 to $852,872 in 2011, he said.
Tourism tax revenue remitted from the state to the county through Oct. 31 is $3,185,654, compared with the $2,929,707 the county had received at this point in 2010, Rawlings said.
"This is an 8.7 percent increase, and we are elated at the continued improvement in tourism-related revenues."
The coverage local media has been giving the state's tourism trade is also a factor in the increase, Rawlings said.
The positive numbers are all the more reason the county needs to continue to tap into the tourism industry, a great way to offset some of the other expenses the county incurs, said Davis County Commissioner Louenda Downs.
"Tourism is alive and well in Davis County," said Barbara Riddle, Davis Area Convention & Visitor's Bureau president and CEO.
Riddle said she credits all of the partners who come into play when it comes to promoting state tourism, including the Utah Legislature, which has supported statewide marketing efforts.
"There are so many positives going on in our community," she said.
Those who rely on the tourist trade are not surprised by the tourism bump the state and Weber/Davis counties area are experiencing.
"We did have a good year. We were up considerably," Dick Andrew, Lagoon vice president of marketing, said of park attendance for 2011's regular season and Frightmares.
Good weather, an improving economy, group business visits and the park's newest attraction -- the BomBora roller coaster -- all contributed more visitors to Lagoon, he said.
The Farmington amusement park is one of the state's leading tourist attractions, with more than 1 million visitors annually.
Davis County Commissioner John Petroff Jr. said he credits those working in the state's tourism trade for presenting "a great product in a great way."
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