Arizona Tourism Thriving Despite Boycotts Against the State
A new report from STR, a hotel research firm, reveals that boycotts against Arizona have had little impact on the state's tourism industry. In fact, over the past two months, hotel bookings have been on the rise in the state's top tourism destinations.
STR did report that hotel bookings were down in the first few weeks after Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB1070 into law, but the impact was short-lasting.
"Fundamentally, the boycotts have been unsuccessful," said Barry Broome, president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.
Data compiled by STR reveals that hotel bookings were up 5.7% in May and 8.3% in June compared to 2009 numbers. In Phoenix and Scottsdale, booking were up by more than 10% and hotel revenues were up 11%.
Not only are hotels surviving the boycotts, but the local economies have also survived. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce reports 2,000 to 3,000 new jobs in the area.
View a list of municipalities and organizations that have announced boycotts of Arizona.
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