OCR Text |
Show ' Be Fair To Utah Visitors! " Those 'who have visited Colorado in summer and had an opportunity of learning to what extent that' state has advertised and is now cashing in on its' natural. resources I its 'parks and' other " scenic'" attractions cannot ' help 'but wonder just why' so' few tourists are visiting Utah. It is true that some thousands are'eoming "here each year but the I number is so small tliat it is insignificant when compared J witji what our sister state of Colorado is attracting annually. ,1 ' It does not require any great amount of searching to 1 find the cause1 of Colorado's popularity with the traveling public and of Utah's unpopularity. The whole question can be slimmed lip in' "a few Words: Good roads and the right i kind of advertising on the one hand against poor roads and the wrong kind of advertising on the other. We do "not wish to make the statement that Utah is spending nothing in advertising its scenic wonders. Money is being spent, perhaps as much as cart be spared just at the present time,' but the selfish attitude of many of our citizens in having much to do with counteracting the good effect of advertising campaigns which individuals and organizations or-ganizations have been putting out in an effort to bring this state and its resources to the attention of the outside world. ' 1 It is mighty" poor advertising when a tourist is brought Into the state over a highway that is not fit for travel simply because a few small towns, located along such a road, have something they want to sell, whether it is garage service, hotel service or something along the same line. The kind of advertising that is passed out by disgruntled tourists does Utah a lot of harm. For our part we would prefer pre-fer to have fewer tourists and have all go away pleased with the state. That would be better than to get many thousands, some by misrepresentation of road conditions, and make knockers out of about ninety per cent of them. We fail to get our share of the tourists, who spend at kast a part of the summer in Colorado mountain parks, because be-cause there is no good auto road leading into Utah from the state on the east, and the worst part of it is that many years will most likely pass before good highways connect the iconic attractions of Utah with those of Colorado. We have people in the state who are so selfish that they ivill do everything' possible to route motorists over a road lhat they know to be almost impassible if there is reason to believe that in so doing it will take business to some isolated section. In other words they care nothing for the comfort of the tourist and are not in any way concerned if he has to travel many unnecessary miles. The business which such travelers will bring to one of our towns seems to be of first importance to many of these people who, while claiming to be booster for Utah are in reality doing the state a great injustice in-justice We find them also criticising individuals and organizations or-ganizations who are really trying to be of service to tourists and by reason of such service will eventually attract to this state many times the number of people who are now finding enjoyment in our parks and canyons. Little does it benefit Utah to have a firstclass road between be-tween Salt Lake City and the southern Utah wonderlands if there are no decent roads by which visitors can come into this state. The reason we arc getting most of our tourists from the north and west is because they can get into the state from these directions with some degree of comfort and pleasure. The bulk of our travel ought to be from the east but bad roads prevent them from coming here from Colorado. Roads will continue to be bad as Jong as we have two or three routes and devote no attention to either. Many thousands of people who visit the Colorado parks would come through Utah on their wav to Yellowstone, or to Pacific coast points, if our roads were good enough to permit such travel. We have the things thev wish to see but they will naturally put off seeing them until such time as we have something tc offer in the way of improved highways. No eastern man who has driven an automobile over whai is commonly called the Pike's Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway High-way will ever make a second trip, neither will he reconimend it to his friends and neighbors. The" Victory H ghwa , through the Uintah Basin section, is bad enough W some improvement over the other road and m view pf the nportance of a vast section of agricultural land, wh'chdoe not have the advantage of railroad transportation he ' route" ought to be the one to receive immediate attention at he hands of the people of Utah. That road should be improved and efforts made to have it used by tourists from the east The benefits of building a good highway through the Uintah Basin would be two-fold: it would mean millions to the state from eastern tourists who are increasing in numbers from year to year and it would give a long : neglected farming section of Utah proper transportation facilities, an improved auto Voad, in this age, being almost as valuable a SSTis'tinfutah People to ,ay aside; their grievances, to stop howling and growling, and put through some real constructive road lcgislation.-Eureka Reporter. . |