Commission postpones decision on joining state tourism association; members report on agritourism and astrotourism

Morgan County commissioners on Aug. 19 voted to postpone for one month a staff recommendation to join the Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA) at an annual cost of about $1,000, citing the upcoming budget review and staff requests for more detail about member benefits.

Staff said UTIA represents hotels, attractions and destination organizations statewide, operates marketing and workforce programs, and that 25 of 29 county destination organizations in Utah are members. The county's tourism program has received cooperative grants in the past; the tourism director noted a recent co-op grant of roughly $74,000 that promoted Morgan County.

Commissioners asked how UTIA membership would interact with existing local tourism activities — including DestinationIQ and the county's Explore Morgan Utah social channels — and whether the money should be committed before budget adoption. One commissioner suggested postponing the decision until after the upcoming budget session; the board approved a one-month postponement.

In commissioner reports, several members described workshops and site visits on agritourism and astrotourism. Commissioner Gardner and others said agritourism can create visitor experiences such as farm tours and hands-on activities, while astrotourism presentations highlighted dark-sky viewing events where guided storytelling and constellation interpretation are packaged as paid experiences. The commission discussed working with the county tourism board (TTAB) to develop experiences that promote longer stays and diversified visitor itineraries.

Staff said membership can be paid from existing tourism funds (TRT) if the commission chooses. The item will be revisited after the next budget discussion.