The 1967 Utah Development Services Act (Laws of Utah, 1967, ch. 175) created the Department of Development Services with the Division of Travel Development, commonly referred to as the Travel Council, and the Board of Travel Development within that department. The Department of Development Services was later reorganized (Laws of Utah, 1979, ch. 234) to become the current Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) with the Division of Travel Development remaining in the Department. DCED was eliminated in 2005 with the creation of the Department of Community and Culture and the Division of Travel Development was put under the Governor's Office of Economic Development.
Prior to 1967 publicity for Utah was previously handled by several other agencies. In 1941, the Legislature (Laws of Utah 1941, ch. 75) created the Department of Publicity and Industrial Development. In 1953, the Department of Publicity and Industrial Development and the Road and Tourist Information Office (which had been created within the State Road Commission by proclamation of Governor J. Bracken Lee in 1952) were replaced by the newly created Utah Tourist and Publicity Council within the Industrial Commission (Laws of Utah 1953, ch. 123). In 1967, several departments were co-ordinated and consolidated by the Legislature in the Utah Development Services Act (Laws of Utah 1967, ch. 175); this act created the Division of Travel Development and abolished the Tourist and Publicity Council.