Digg|
Save|
License|
Print|
E-mail|
Double-click any word or phrase in the story to search this site.
July 10, 2008 - 10:09AM
Updated: July 10, 2008 - 5:53PM
Arizona tourism numbers were robust in 2007
Donna Hogan, Tribune
Tourists flocked to Arizona in record numbers last year, and they spent a lot of money while they were here.
Tempe tourism, hotel revenue soar over last year
In 2007, 35.2 million visitors showed up in the Grand Canyon state, about 2 million of them traveling from outside the United States. That's a 4.4percent boost from the number of 2006 tourists, said Margie Emmermann, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism.
 |
And the visitors spent $19.3billion while they were enjoying Arizona, 3.2 percent more than they spent in 2006, Emmermann announced Thursday during the Governor's Conference on Tourism in Tucson.
"Tourism is a steady blue-chip industry that continues to grow," Emmermann said.
The news was nearly all good last year, with older, more affluent tourists coming in greater numbers.
"We were strong on the boomer side," Emmermann said. "But we know 2008 will be more challenging."
There were some omens in the statistics.
The number of local jobs directly related to tourism dropped slightly in 2007.
The number of Canadian visitors to Arizona slipped, as well, for the first time, said AnnDee Johnson, the tourism agency's director of research.
And that's despite the fact that the Canadian dollar was, and is still, increasing in value. Canadian visits to the United States overall were up nearly 18 percent last year.
Johnson chalked up Arizona's trend-bucking to several possible scenarios - among them the need to get a passport to cross the border by air, while those driving across can enter with a driver's license.
That could discourage many from flying to Arizona and encourage others who bother to obtain a passport to check out more exotic warm-weather destinations such as Caribbean or South Pacific islands, Johnson said.
Also a possible factor, she said, is that Arizona hotels and resorts have kept average daily room rates high while other U.S. destinations, especially Florida, offered big discounts.
As airlines cut flights in the face of soaring fuel costs, that can affect all international travel to Arizona in the future, Johnson said. Currently there is only one daily overseas flight to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. That's not enough to boost the international business, she said.
Emmermann said while there has been a noticeable softening of Arizona's tourism industry so far this year, it's based on the economy and will not have the long-lasting impact that followed the one-two punch of recession followed by terrorist attacks that made people fearful to fly at all in 2001 and 2002.
Emmermann said Arizona tourism will rebound in the long haul, and for the short term, she plans to focus on attracting more local and nearby states' residents.
News updates are sent daily. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Please add your comments, but follow these guidelines to keep this a safe, credible place for discussing the news: