The Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrated its fifth birthday Wednesday with news that tourism here is still on the rise, despite economic pressures that have crippled the industry in other places.

President Joel Racker said the area is a peculiar microcosm in tourism because nearly three-quarters of visitors come from other places within the state. Within the tightly-knit Mormon community, people have continued to visit family despite high gas prices and other obstacles that keep many at home -- but it also means there often isn't as much revenue per visitor, he said.

"The problem is we have so many people sleeping on Aunt Suzy's floor," he said. "Everybody's got a relative here."

Still, at halfway through the year, hotels had paid 56 percent of all the lodging taxes paid last year. While that seems to indicate an increase in visitors, much of it actually comes from rising room rates while occupancy has remained stable, Racker said.

"We're holding our own and hoping there's light at the end of the cycle," he said.

After Utah, the greatest proportion of domestic visitors came from California, with 5 percent. Texas, Colorado, Washington and Arizona followed, each representing between 1.6 and 2.1 percent of visitors from the states.

About 8 percent of all visitors came from abroad, with about a third from Canada and 10 percent from Germany. Racker attributed part of that to marketing efforts in Provo's eastern Germany sister city, Meissen, and the relatively low value of the American dollar in the international marketplace, making the U.S. a cheap place to vacation.

"The dollar is so low -- if you can get them over some of the political implications," he said.

Director of Services Charlene Christensen said the biggest draw for foreign tourists has been Utah's national parks.

"They like rural Utah and the cowboy experience," she said.

In a celebration attended by several mayors and county commissioners, Racker lauded the state Legislature for its increased support for tourism over the past half-decade. Still, he said, there is much work to be done: State research indicates that 70-80 percent of visitors rely on locals for entertainment recommendations, but less than 25 percent of residents refer them to tourist attractions within Utah Valley.

Provo Mayor Lewis Billings said the city is trying to regionally advertise the new Covey Center for the Arts. The venue, which opened in July 2007, is hosting several big-name acts this summer, including adult contemporary artist Kenny Loggins.

"I think that's a new attraction that some will find appealing," he said.

Billings and Racker both said the county's Freedom Festival, which includes the Grand Parade on the Fourth of July and the Stadium of Fire event at Brigham Young University's LaVell Edwards Stadium, is the area's premier tourist attraction. The parade routinely brings in 250,000 people.

The prospective convention center in downtown Provo will also be a huge draw when completed, Billings said. It's important to get moving on that soon, because many conventions are outgrowing the city's existing center, he said.

"We've gotten to the point where we're going to start losing some of these because they just can't fit here," he said.

Billings listed several other attractions, like downtown Provo and The Shops at Riverwoods, as assets that will continue to attract visitors for years.

• Ace Stryker can be reached at 344-2556 or astryker@heraldextra.com.