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Show Comp, News Eile Rox 6310 Lincoln, Neb. 60506 Public invited to dedication of Thompson visitor center The Thompson port of entry, located on Interstate 70 a few miles east of the community of Thompson in Grand County, will be officially dedicated in ceremonies there today (Thursday) at 1 p.m. The Thompson facility, which has been in operation since mid-winter, is the fourth in a state-wide system of visitor information infor-mation centers on Utah's major highway ports of entry. The information center program pro-gram is designed to provide detailed information to travelers aimed at encouraging longer visits in Utah. Plans call for six visitor information centers by 1980 one at every major arterial entrance to Utah. The Thompson Center, along with the centers at Vernal, Echo and St. George "give us the opportunity to meet visitors face-to-face with a personal invitation to spend as much time in Utah as possible," according to J. Phillip J mtmi ii Keene EI, director of the Utah Travel Council. "The more information infor-mation we can give our visitors, the longer they will stay in Utah, generating an increase in travel expenditures which directly benefits bene-fits Utah's economy." Additional centers are planned for Brigham City and Wendover. A recent port of entry study conducted by Utah State University's Universi-ty's Institute for the Study of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism indicated that travelers who stop at visitor centers stay a half-day longer in the state, spend $16 more per visit and visit 30 per cent more attractions. Opening of the attractive facility is the culmination of many years of planning by the Utah Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and Utah Travel Council. The centers are built by the Utah Department of Transportation, the Utah Travel Council is responsible for interior graphics and local travel regions are responsible for providing provid-ing full-time staff. The Thompson center, located 45 miles west of the Utah-Colorado line, will serve an estimated 350 thousand visitors each year who enter Utah from Colorado. It is managed by Alice Hiatt of Moab. The facility was constructed by M. Morrin & Sons of Ogden, at a cost of $436,722. Containing 3,241 square feet, the facility features map murals, literature distribution racks, an 8-minute film on state and regional attractions, and photo layouts of the national parks, recreational activities and Bureau of Land Management recreation areas in the state. Sheltered picnic areas and scenic overlooks are adjacent to the building. The Thursday grand opening, to which the general public is invited, will include a brief program and a tour of the center. Local, state and federal officials are expected to attend. 1 -i" ' |
