Who We Are

The Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism was founded in 1998 by the Utah State Legislature through the Recreation and Tourism Research and Extension Program Act (S.B. 35). The Institute is mandated to focus on: tourism and outdoor recreation use; the social and economic tradeoffs of tourism and outdoor recreation for local communities; and the relationship between outdoor recreation and tourism and public land management practices and policies.

The purpose of the Institute is to provide: better data for the Legislature and state agencies in their decision-making processes on issues relating to tourism and outdoor recreation; a base of information and expertise to assist community officials as they attempt to balance the economic, social, and environmental tradeoffs in tourism development; and an interdisciplinary approach of research and study on outdoor recreation and tourism, a complex sector of the state's economy.

Undergraduate and graduate students working out of the Institute participate in a variety of degree programs through USU’s Department of Environment and Society. These programs include BS and MS degrees in Recreation Resource Management, MS and PhD degrees in Environment and Society, and MS and PhD degrees in Ecology.