In an effort to double the number of Japanese visitors to Utah in the next six years, Bradley P. Smith, president of Foremost West, has been appointed to the Tourism Exchange Promotion Council by the undersecretary of commerce for travel and tourism.
The council is responsible for formulating a strategy and promotional program that will double tourism between Japan and the United States to 8 million visitors by the year 2000. To reach that goal and attempt to reduce the trade deficit with Japan through tourism, the number of Japanese visitors to this country must increase 12 percent annually.In 1993, of the 114,152 Japanese visitors to the Western United States, 18,032 came to Utah. Between 1985 and 1992, the number of Japanese tourists visiting Utah increased 10 percent annually, Smith said.
"Japanese travel has shown a progression from Guam to Hawaii and California. The next generation of travel will be exploring Utah extensively and the American West," he said.
Under the council's new program, U.S. international travel receipts from Japanese visitors in 2000 are estimated at $43.6 billion. About 294,000 jobs in America will be supported by the $22.7 billion in Japanese spending in the U.S. in 2000, Smith said.
Smith is one of 20 tourism executives in the United States appointed to the council, which comprises public and private sector people. Simultaneously, the Japanese Ministry of Transport is convening a similar working group of tourism leaders from Japan to work with the council.
As director of Foremost West, Smith is responsible for all operations and programs of the regional marketing consortium representing Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming in the international tourism marketplace.