Trail to Tomorrow: A Place-Based Tourism and Economic Diversification Plan for Grand County

What Is This About?

To achieve greater harmony between local economic realities and what residents prioritize, Grand County is creating the Trail to Tomorrow Strategic Plan to manage tourism to benefit the community while continuing to develop a diverse economy over the next five years.

With a commitment to hearing all voices, this planning process is intended to enhance local quality of life as well as the experience of those who visit, work or do business here, while safeguarding the magnificent environment and unique culture of Grand County.

Why Is This A Priority?

  • An opportunity to weigh benefits and challenges of tourism and other forms of economic development.

  • Recognizes tourism as a key economic driver, while seeking ways of mitigating negative impacts and maximizing benefits of a visitor economy.

  • Acts on a resolve to shape the economy with new opportunities, shared priorities and advance local quality of life.

  • Identify strategies to drive and improve a thriving, resilient visitor economy.

  • Enhance resident quality of life by addressing impacts and deriving more value from the tourism economy.

  • Create inspiring visitor experiences that are compatible with local priorities.

  • Map strategies to safeguard and improve natural assets and reduce negative impacts: Messaging campaigns, dispersal strategies, transit & mobility, visitor targeting, partnerships, and infrastructure development.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone with a stake in the future of Grand County.

How Will We Get There?

The Trail to Tomorrow Plan will be developed through a community-driven process. Hundreds of regional stakeholders will be actively included in the process through community forums, topical roundtables, interviews and surveys.

What Is Economic Development?

Economic development typically refers to the process by which a region increases the economic, financial, and social well-being of its people.

Economic development and sustainability are closely interlinked concepts, each influencing the other in significant ways. Traditionally, economic development focused primarily on growth—increasing a region's wealth, production, and employment. However, the contemporary understanding of economic development includes a strong emphasis on sustainability, recognizing that long-term economic health is inextricably linked to environmental stewardship and social equity. Tourism is a form of economic development.

What Is This About?

To achieve greater harmony between local economic realities and what residents prioritize, Grand County is creating the Trail to Tomorrow Strategic Plan to manage tourism to benefit the community while continuing to develop a diverse economy over the next five years.

With a commitment to hearing all voices, this planning process is intended to enhance local quality of life as well as the experience of those who visit, work or do business here, while safeguarding the magnificent environment and unique culture of Grand County.

Why Is This A Priority?

  • An opportunity to weigh benefits and challenges of tourism and other forms of economic development.

  • Recognizes tourism as a key economic driver, while seeking ways of mitigating negative impacts and maximizing benefits of a visitor economy.

  • Acts on a resolve to shape the economy with new opportunities, shared priorities and advance local quality of life.

  • Identify strategies to drive and improve a thriving, resilient visitor economy.

  • Enhance resident quality of life by addressing impacts and deriving more value from the tourism economy.

  • Create inspiring visitor experiences that are compatible with local priorities.

  • Map strategies to safeguard and improve natural assets and reduce negative impacts: Messaging campaigns, dispersal strategies, transit & mobility, visitor targeting, partnerships, and infrastructure development.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone with a stake in the future of Grand County.

How Will We Get There?

The Trail to Tomorrow Plan will be developed through a community-driven process. Hundreds of regional stakeholders will be actively included in the process through community forums, topical roundtables, interviews and surveys.

What Is Economic Development?

Economic development typically refers to the process by which a region increases the economic, financial, and social well-being of its people.

Economic development and sustainability are closely interlinked concepts, each influencing the other in significant ways. Traditionally, economic development focused primarily on growth—increasing a region's wealth, production, and employment. However, the contemporary understanding of economic development includes a strong emphasis on sustainability, recognizing that long-term economic health is inextricably linked to environmental stewardship and social equity. Tourism is a form of economic development.

Grand County Places

5 months

Grand County is a mostly rural area with a lot of public land owned by the federal government. About 78% of the land is managed by federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Another 11% of the land belongs to the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation. The state also owns about 8% of the land, managed by the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). 

There are two main towns in Grand County: Moab and Castle Valley. Around 9,700 people live in the county, but it's a popular place for tourists too. Nearly a million visitors come to enjoy its natural beauty and outdoor activities every year.

Help the Economic Development Department understand your favorite places in Grand County by dropping pins and uploading photos! We look forward to helping you preserve, promote, and build prosperity in these areas.

Note that other participants will be able to see your contributions, so please be respectful!  



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