Utah Office of Tourism Invites Public to “Share Your Olympic Memories”

The Utah Office of Tourism (UOT) invites the public to utilize the agency’s social media channels to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.  The “Share Your Olympic Memories” campaign will  run February 8-18.

The office plans to use the campaign to promote the many commemorative events planned during this time, including the Olympic Legacy Foundation’s “A Tribute to Salt Lake 2002 featuring Stars On Ice” on February 18^th.

Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences via stories, videos, and photos on UOT’s “Visit Utah” Facebook page and will be eligible for a daily prize drawing. On Twitter, the “Top Tweet” that uses the hashtag #SL2002 will be awarded a prize at the end of the campaign. Prizes include ski passes to resorts that hosted Olympic events – Snowbasin, Deer Valley, and Park City Mountain Resort – as well as special event passes, and more.

“Social media allows people to gather and communicate in such an exciting way, so we felt this was an excellent opportunity to invite people to share their memories of a truly unforgettable time in our state’s history,” says Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism, an agency of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). “The Olympics had a profound impact on so many people, so let’s share those photos, videos and stories that left an indelible impression.”

“You only need to look to the tremendous tourism related investment in our state since our Olympics and Paralympics to see the profound related economic benefit to our state,” says Spencer P. Eccles, executive director of GOED. “Not only did the Games have an impact on those who witnessed its grandeur, it set the stage for expanded tourism promotion.” 

Since 2002, tourism in Utah has surged, with total incoming travelers increasing 15% from 17.2 million to 20.2 million annually. Ski visitation alone is up 45%, with total skier days increasing from 2.9 million in 2002 to 4.2 million last winter season, according to Ski Utah. Total traveler spending is up as well from $4.6 billion to $6.5 billion, an increase of 28%.

To participate in the Utah Office of Tourism’s “Share Your Olympic Memories” go to www.visitutah.com, February 8-18.