Kane County businesses face a slower summer tourism season
- Don Jennings
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
KANAB — Zion National Park is still crowded, but for many Kane County tourism businesses, something has been noticeably different this summer. Business owners across lodging, restaurants and outdoor recreation are reporting a slower tourism season in 2026.
Jakey Leigh, owner of Jakey Leigh’s Café Bakery in downtown Kanab, told the Southern Utah News (SUN) that business has definitely been slower this summer than last. At the same time, she has noticed more European customers than she has seen in the past few years.
Similar reports surfaced during the Kane County Tourism Tax Advisory Board’s July 22 meeting.
Dreamland Safari Tours owner Paul Gagner said last June was his company’s worst month since the COVID-19 pandemic. Will Driggs-Campbell, general manager of Best Western Red Hills, told the SUN that comparable Kanab hotels saw a 22 percent year-over-year drop in occupancy in July and a 26 percent decline in total revenue.
“The decline we’re seeing affects both occupancy and rate, but the impact on occupancy is much larger,” Driggs-Campbell said.
The numbers aren’t quite as simple as the empty rooms suggest, though. Kane County Tourism Director Janette Peatross reported hotel occupancy falling from 52 percent in April to 47 percent in June, while transient room tax revenue was up five percent and average daily room rates were at record levels.
Drive 35 miles west, though, and the picture changes again.
Wild Thyme Bistro owner Ashley Heaton told the SUN that their Kanab restaurant is down about eight percent compared with 2025, while the Springdale location is up about 35 percent. Kanab was ahead of last year during the first quarter, with the decline beginning in the second.
There are other signs that where visitors are going may matter as much as how many are coming. Commissioner Celeste Meyeres told the tourism board that Zion is seeing more visitation from the west side of the park rather than the east, which connects Zion with U.S. 89 and Kane County.
Tourism officials have pointed to several possible factors, including wildfires, declining international visitation and the large vehicle restrictions at Zion’s east entrance that went into effect June 7. Both Thunderbird Restaurant and White Mountain Trading Post say they’re seeing far fewer tour buses than usual.
If there’s a bright spot in all this, it may be the fall season, although it depends on whom you ask.
Heaton said Wild Thyme Kanab is completely booked at the end of September, while Springdale has more than 40 tour groups scheduled that month. Gagner also reported a strong fall outlook for Dreamland.
Driggs-Campbell is more cautious. He said fall looks better than summer but weaker than last year, with many Kanab hotels pricing rooms $10 to $100 below the same weeks in 2025.
“We all have a good product in a gorgeous location, and that is certainly worth more than what we are charging,” he said.
Kane County tourism officials are responding with refreshed advertising, increased domestic marketing and more targeted local and social media campaigns.
Taken together, all these numbers don’t point to one simple explanation for Kanab’s slow summer. Fewer visitors are part of it, but so are changes in where visitors are coming from, how they’re traveling and which side of Zion they’re using.
And while some businesses are looking forward to a strong fall, others expect the season to remain softer than last year.
Editor’s note: Southern Utah News publisher Don Jennings serves as president of the Kane County Tourism Tax Advisory Board.
