When summer hits in Moab, Utah, most locals want to clear out and escape the heat. But for many foreign tourists visiting the nearby national parks, the desert is exactly what they’re looking for.
“We find that with international visitors, that’s kind of like part of the draw, is to get this full desert, Southwest experience,” said Alison Harford, who runs communications at the Moab Office of Tourism.
Sightseers from across the globe book guided tours and whitewater rafting trips. They stay in Moab’s hotels, dine at Moab’s restaurants and buy trinkets from Moab’s souvenir shops. They rent cars, hike the trails and gaze at the area’s towering monuments.