The Carbon Corridor & The Swell partner with the Utah Office of Tourism Forever Mighty Grant
Press Release
While Carbon and Emery counties often come together as rivals when it comes to sports, the counties have come together as partners when it comes to promoting the region to tourists. Tina Grange with the Carbon County Office of Tourism has made it a goal to work with Emery County Tourism in hopes of creating a strong partnership that will highlight all of the wonderful assets in both counties.
“I reached out to Emery County Tourism in 2019 after meeting the new director at a trade show and asked to meet over lunch,” said Grange. A partnership started to develop once that meeting took place and it was clear that there was a desire to work together as a region. That dedication has paid off with the launch of a new joint project this spring – The Roundabout, Utah’s Hidden Loop.
In 2021, Carbon and Emery Tourism partnered and put together an application for the Utah Office of Tourism Forever Mighty Grant program, seeking funding to develop a new driving tour that would take visitors around both counties. With most of the outdoor recreation in Emery County, but within a short distance to Price, it just made sense to find a way to work together to benefit everyone.
“A bigger pie means everyone gets a bigger piece,” added Danny Van Wagoner, Castle Dale City Mayor. After all, the two counties already share the job market, so why not look at other ways to bring revenue into their communities?
The grant was approved and several meetings took place over the next year while the team worked with HUB Collective to bring the concept to life. The Roundabout is a different way to see and experience the amazing sites and recreational opportunities across Carbon and Emery counties without overwhelming these areas. The goal is to encourage visitors to make their way around the route while stopping to enjoy the small towns where they can dine, sleep, pick up souvenirs and get a sense of rural Utah.
The team reached out and received input from local stakeholders, including the Bureau of Land Management, city mayors, business owners and even outdoor adventure bloggers, who came together in a focus group to provide feedback and insight to the project. Originally scheduled to launch in 2022, the project was put on hold until the spring of 2023 while Emery County onboarded a new commissioner overseeing tourism as well as a new interim Director of Tourism.
“We wanted to be able to review the Roundabout concepts with the new commissioner and interim director,” said Carbon County Commissioner Casey Hopes. A meeting was recently scheduled between Commissioner Hopes and Commissioner Keven Jensen to talk about the work that the two tourism offices had been doing over the past year and a half.
Commissioner Hopes added, “The meeting went great. Commissioner Jensen thought the Roundabout was very well thought out and executed. He appreciated the fact that it would focus on putting people into our cities to share the amazing experiences offered in the Roundabout, while giving them options for dining and lodging in both counties.”
With that, Commissioner Jensen gave his support for the launch. Shortly after, Shanny Wilson, Carbon County Economic Development and Tourism Director, and Grange, Carbon County Tourism Specialist, met with the new Interim Tourism Director in Emery County.
“We chatted in more detail about the Roundabout and other potential projects that were discussed prior to his new position. We also talked about grants and grant processes, but most importantly we talked about how we can work together moving forward. We left the meeting with a new friendship and support from him to launch the Roundabout,” reported Wilson.
The Roundabout brochures can be found in and around Carbon and Emery counties. A new page is being created that will be hosted on the Carbon Corridor website along with editorial ads and banner ads being featured in KSL later this spring. The partners have discussed the potential to add vloggers to the mix, a golf bounce back pass, a lodging promotion and more. For more information, you can contact Grange at (435) 636-3701.