New figures show Arizona tourism industry

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The Governor’s Conference on Touris is being held this week at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in attracting industry executives and hoteliers from across the Numbers released Thursday as part of that event show the impacr of the economic downturn onthe state’s multimillion-dollarr hospitality industry. “The lodging industry is clearlyin pain. Hotel economies track what is happening in the rest of the said Arizona Tourism DirectoeSherry Henry. The state figure show 37.4 million people visited Arizonq in2008 — a 3 percent decline from 2007. Aboutt 26 million leisure travelers spent timein Arizona, a declin of 3.3 percent; while business travelo was down 7.
6 percent, to 6.3 million visitors. Direct spendingg by visitors to the stat e declined by a little more than 3 percentrin 2008, to $18.5 The numbers also show the impact of residentds staying closer to home. Whiled nonresident travel to the state was downabout 4.7 to 22.6 million, about 9.8 million Arizonans travelexd within the state, a decline of only 2.9 And even though overseas visitors made up 2.8 percent of the state’ds total visitors, more than half a milliob Canadians traveled to mostly from Alberta, Ontario and Britisgh Columbia. Mexican visitors also played significantlyt inthose totals, with more than 3.85 milliom traveling to Arizona.
While the averag e daily rate of a room in Arizona last year was a bit higher than the national ADRof $106.5, those numbers have not remainef strong. Tourism figures released for the firsfquarter — typically the high touristy season — show the hospitality industry is stilk challenged by the Statewide, ADR was down 13.8 percent, from $132.7 2 in first-quarter 2008 to $114.47 in first-quartee 2009. In metro Phoenix, ADR sank 16 from $160.87 in first-quarter 2008 to $135.08 in first-quarter 2009.
Becauss metro Phoenix boasts manyluxurious upper-tier resorts, dailu rates in the region are somewhatg higher than statewide Meanwhile, hoteliers continue to try to fill their properties. Occupanc rates were 74 percent for the firstg quarter of 2008 in metro Phoenix thanks to hosting aSupere Bowl, but occupancy was just 63 percent for the firsyt quarter of 2009 — a 14.7 percenty decline. Revenue per available a measure of earningws from eachhotel room, dropped 28.3 percent, from $119.15 to $85.37.
Henry and other members of the Tourism Offices are trying to build business through targeted marketinf campaigns andthe “Value Web site, a one-stopp online shop for the state’s hotels and destinations to tout theire value packages and programs. More than 300 trips, packagez and destinations across the state are The Tourism Office also will launcha “Fres to Be” marketing campaign in select cities, includinh Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver, whic will focus on how Arizona properties catef to different travelers’ desires, from outdoorsmeh to families to the shoppint crowd.
Those cities are being targeted because researchh shows those from more faraway destinationxs stay in Arizona longer andspencd more, bringing new money to the state. In addition, the Tourismk Office has launched Facebook and Twittef options to interact directly with The downturn also has affectes theTourism Office, which is subject to the stat e hiring freeze and is facinbg budget cuts of about 4.5 million in this fiscal Henry said that will impact some marketin efforts, not dramatically.