Utah is famous for its skiing, spectacular parks, hiking, camping, hunting, climbing, boating and other outdoor recreational activities. That’s why our state legislature created the Utah Office of Outdoor recreation to help market our natural resources and attract and expand businesses making use of our bounty of wonders.
The director of the office says the recreation economy is a vital part of our state’s livelihood, raking in $5.8 billion per year from tourists and residents. He notes that Utah has the highest per capita rate of recreation-related jobs in the country.
He said while it’s difficult to know exactly how many businesses have migrated to Utah because of our recreational treasures, it’s a certainty that as more and more outdoor-focused businesses relocate here, other people and businesses ride their coattails into the state.
The director pointed to Ogden, Utah’s push to recruit bicycle-related businesses; a push led by its mayor, a biking devotee.
Last autumn, the city hosted a group of Taiwanese bicycling business executives to peddle their way on a multi-day tour of state and national parks.
A CEO of an Ogden-based cycling company says Utah not only has a positive business climate, “but it’s also favorable in terms of the outdoor recreational focus.”
Utah’s enthusiastic pitch to prospective businesses is a combination of extolling the beauty of our bountiful natural resources, and pointing out the outdoor-embracing lifestyle of the state. It means entrepreneurs know they’ll have like-minded people as customers as well as neighbors.
For those interested in starting a business or moving a firm, the legal knowledge of an experienced business attorney can be crucial to success.
Source: Company Week, “When industry comes to play: Utah’s recreation ‘brand’ getting a business push,” Bart Taylor, April 21, 2014