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(c) Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce |
In a united effort to promote both the great summer values throughout Arizona as a tourist destination and the economic value of the tourism industry, the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT), the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association (AzHLA) and other statewide industry partners have launched a new in-state summer campaign, Value Arizona, featuring
ValueAZ.com, a one-stop Web site dedicated to showcasing statewide summer travel deals.
Launched during “National Tourism Week,” a nationwide celebration of the travel and tourism industry, Value Arizona complements the national campaign “Travel Matters,” which touts the positive impact the tourism industry has on the local, state and national economies. Adding to the celebration in Arizona, Governor Jan Brewer will proclaim the week, May 11-15, as “Arizona Travel and Tourism Week.”
“Our industry has had some tough challenges,” said Sherry Henry, AOT director. “However, from challenges come great opportunities and Value Arizona has given us an opportunity to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, change the negative perceptions about travel and apply a pragmatic approach to an existing problem.”
Underscoring the importance of the Arizona tourism industry to the state’s economic strength, Value Arizona is an integrated marketing campaign with cinema advertising, online marketing, and radio commercials directing residents and visitors to ValueAZ.com, where they can find one-of-a-kind travel deals to enjoy throughout the Grand Canyon State.
“We developed this campaign to communicate multiple messages,” said Debbie Johnson, President & CEO of AzHLA. “Value Arizona highlights the amazing values found throughout the state this summer, encourages residents to value the world-class travel destinations in their own backyard and stresses the value of the tourism industry to Arizona’s economic vitality.”
Vibrant campaign imagery will help motivate residents to discover what’s in their own backyard and introduce visitors to the state’s natural beauty and outdoor adventures such as majestic mountain vistas; lush desert scenery; picturesque canyons; luxurious resorts and spas; hiking and biking activities; shopping opportunities; and dinning experiences. And a vital benefit to encouraging residents and visitors to travel in-state is the spending that will occur within the state to generate much needed tax revenue for Arizona’s economy.
“Even with the state of the current economy, what’s important to understand is that people are still traveling, they are just traveling differently and closer to home. It’s our job to give people new options, such as Value Arizona, to encourage this new way of traveling and find great summer values and opportunities,” continued Henry.
Value Arizona will run from May 12 through September 12. The campaign was a coordinated effort involving travel and tourism entities from across the state to upload unique travel opportunities visitors can enjoy throughout the summer.
The Arizona tourism industry brings millions of visitors annually to the Grand Canyon State. In 2007, visitors spent $19.3 billion throughout the state, pumping nearly $53 million each day into Arizona’s economy. The industry also employs more than 170,000 Arizona residents and generates an estimated $2.7 billion in local, state and federal tax revenues.
Visit ValueAZ.com to discover the value of Arizona today!
About AzHLA
The Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association (AzHLA) is the leading public policy advocate for the Arizona Lodging Industry. Representing more than 34,000 rooms statewide and 400+ members, including hotels, resorts, B&B’s and related Industry partners, AzHLA’s mission is to unify, protect, enhance and promote the interests of the Arizona Lodging Industry. For more information, visit www.azhla.com.
About AOT
Created as an executive agency in 1975, the Arizona Office of Tourism is charged with enhancing the state economy and the quality of life for all Arizonans by expanding travel activity and increasing related revenues through tourism promotion and development. AOT works to serve the Grand Canyon State’s travel industry and related businesses, the traveling public, and the taxpayers of Arizona. For more information, visit www.azot.gov.
