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Show Bryce Canyon No. 1 Spot in Utah For BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK Bryce Canyon National Park was lited as the most frequently visited location in Utah visited by motorcoach (bus) tours according to Jim Braden, director of the Utah Travel Council. Braden cited the results of a just-completed survey of intercity bus travel to Utah which indicated that approximately $32.7 million was spent by the motorcoach industry in the 1983 84 travel season. "That means," said Braden, that one motorcoach staying one day contributes as much as $4700 to the Utah economy." The study was conducted for the UTC by the Utah State University Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism from April 1983 through July 1984, using on-site question' naires and surveys mailed to motorcoach operators across the U.S. "The study estimates that more than 3400 motorcoaches visited Utah last year, spending an average of 2.8 days here," said Braden. "Each bus contained an average of 35.5 people, which means about i22,000 individuals traveled by bus through Utah, 63.1 percent seeing Utah for the first time. Braden stated that Bryce Canyon's 59.2 percent of motorcoach visitors was followed closely by Zion National Park's 54.7 percent and Salt Lake City and attractions with 41.2 percent. The majority of those listed as head of the party were over 65 years old, male, married, and fairly well educated, dispelling the myth of a bus tour full of elderly, unaccompanied ladies. Sixty-three percent had family incomes above $20,000 and 10 percent were above $50,000. It is estimated that, on any given day during the peak travel season, there are between 15 and 20 motorcoaches traveling in Utah. |