Utah Office of Tourism (UOT/Visit Utah) leans into indigenous tourism in 2025, highlighting local guides and environmental stewardship, while rolling out a new Utah Film Trail to continue the 100-year celebrations of the state’s cinematic history.
UOT Director of Global Markets Rachel Bremer shared updates with international media at the recent IPW25 in Chicago, while Utah Office of Tourism & Film Managing Director Natalie Randall spoke about how generational changes will elevate the overall vision to be a highly desirable and sought-after destination for international visitors.
“It’s an intersection of art, creativity, cultures for outdoor recreation and the soul-awakening adventure and landscapes that exist throughout our areas as we build into these generational changes,” Randall said.
“We’ll be leaning into the legacy…as we steward that balance of landscapes and cultures and visitor experiences and building a perpetual and forever Utah.
“We continue to innovate our destination, tapping into curiosity and the awe of our visitors from being a dark sky state celebrating the highest concentration of international dark skies, to our Film Trail, which was created in celebration of 100 years of the film industry within our state, we welcome you to experience life elevated through all of your senses.”
Ancient Wayves River & Hiking Adventures Owner & Outfitter Louis Williams highlighted how indigenous tourism revolves around sustainability, culture and “just having fun out there and learning about the landscape”.
The Diné (Navajo) tour guide pointed out the benefits of an indigenous-led experience in Utah.
“People come from all over the world to see Utah and southeast Utah and to have that indigenous experience. Some have seen southeast Utah in movies,” Williams said.
“Now, there’s a lot of guides out there who are knowledgeable and share great stories, but I want to point out that being with an indigenous guide is very different.
“It’s about hearing the native languages out there on ancestral lands of many tribes, tasting traditional foods on the river,” he said.
Williams explained the central concept of hozho (pronounced “hoh-zho”), a Diné word that encompasses four directional elements for holistic wellbeing and balance.
“Hozho is what guides me when I’m out on the landscape – east, south, west and north, representing aspects of life, and that’s what we do on our daily guided tours,” he said.
“An indigenous tour is connecting with the people. We’re out there taking care of the land, we’re taking care of each other, so it’s mentally and spiritually uplifting,” he said.
Bremer said: “This is a critical message that we want to communicate to our visitors. We don’t want to just be wowed by our landscapes and the experiences in them, but to become stewards of the state, to support our local communities and our people, to continue our efforts towards daily stewardship for Utah’s future.”
Utah Film Trail
Meanwhile, the new Utah Film Trail is a series of physical markers at iconic filming locations, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to High School Musical.
These markers serve as a cultural tie-in to existing and set-jetting itineraries that explore the one-of-a-kind film history found in the state to inspire travel.
Many markers have already been established with a total of 30 planned by late 2025.
For more info, head to visitutah.com
