For the second year, Salt Lake's hospitality community will once again kick off the summer travel season by encouraging local citizens to sample some of the city's best tourist attractions -- for free. To celebrate National Tourism Appreciation Day, on Saturday May 15, area attractions including The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point, the North American Museum of Ancient Life, Utah Olympic Park, the Utah Museum of Natural History, and Kennecott Utah Copper's Bingham Canyon Mine will be opening free to Utah families.

The "Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard" promotion is sponsored by participating attractions and the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. Area attractions have agreed to provide free admission to give locals a taste of what it's like to vacation in Salt Lake. Printable tickets to the attractions will be available from the bureau's Web site, www.visitsaltlake.com, beginning April 30. Last year's backyard tourism free-for-all generated more than 80,000 free ticket requests.

"The travel industry is a vital part of our community's economy and contributes $2 billion annually to Salt Lake County," said Dianne Binger, president of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We�d like locals to know who we are as an industry and what we do for the local economy. More importantly, we want locals to experience Salt Lake for themselves so they can invite out-of-town friends, family, and professional associates to visit our community."

New this year, the Downtown Alliance will sponsor "Live Green Eco-Exchange Downtown" in conjunction with the day's celebration. The downtown event includes a plant swap at The Gallivan Center along with a wellness seminar at Crossroads Mall. A master gardener workshop series will take place at the City Library and the Shops at Convention Corner will host children's performances and flower pot planting.

"Travel is a great rejuvenator, and you don't have to leave the Wasatch Front to have a truly world-class vacation," Binger said. "This summer, we're again encouraging locals to enjoy a vacation that is in their own backyard."

To get free tickets to area attractions on May 15, backyard travelers should go to the bureau's Web site, www.visitsaltlake.com, click on the "Backyard" icon, choose the attraction they want to visit, and print off their own custom ticket. Restrictions may apply at some attractions.

For more information contact:

Utah Museum of Natural History, Anne Asman, 801-581-6927 aasman@umnh.utah.edu

Utah Olympic Park, Frank Zang, 435-658-4200 frank.zang@olyparks.com

The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point and the North American Museum of Ancient Life, Steve Williams, 801-768-2300 swilliams@thanksgivingpoint.com

Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, Louis Connonelos, 801-569-7433

Downtown Alliance, Tracy Vonharten, 801-359-5118

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Media Contact: Jason Mathis +1 801-534-4913 jason@saltlake.org