Industry News

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Honored for Her AZ Tourism Work

"Congresswoman Giffords has a long history of supporting the Arizona tourism industry," says Debbie Johnson, president and CEO of the Arizona Hotel Lodging Association. "And when the industry needed her most, she stepped in to help where she could."

Arizona lost business last year, after the Legislature passed the controversial immigration enforcement law, SB 1070. Congressman Raul Grijalva even called for organizations to boycott the state.

Giffords, though she disagreed with the law, rallied to oppose the boycott, saying it would "unfairly punish workers and businesses that already have been hard-hit by the recession."

Giffords sent letters to more than 75 cities and organizations, urging that they reverse plans to boycott Arizona.

For her effort, Giffords was honored last week, when the award was presented to her by the Arizona Office of Tourism at the 2011 Governor's Conference on Tourism in Paradise Valley.

At that ceremony, Johnson said "Many of Giffords' letters changed and opened minds and, in few caes, saved desperately needed business for our state. She is a true tourism champion."

More than 400 tourism industry members from both the public and private sector attended the event.

Tourism Industry Leaders Honored at 2011 Governor's Conference on Tourism

Arizona tourism professionals recognized and honored industry leaders at the 2011 Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) Director Sherry Henry, along with AOT Deputy Director Mark Stanton, presented the awards during the Governor’s Awards Luncheon at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort. More than 500 tourism industry members from both the private and public sector were in attendance.

Winners are listed below:

Innovative Promotions – Kingman Powerhouse Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce
Cooperative Marketing – Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona
Arizona Preservation – McDowell Sonoran Conservancy
Green Tourism – Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association
Special Events – Rural – The Superstition Harley-Davidson Lost Dutchman State Park Observation Run
Special Events – Urban – The 2011 Yuma Lettuce Days
Spirit of Service – Individual – Celia Cohen, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
Tourism Champion of the Year – U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
Tourism Hall of Fame – Debbie Johnson, President & CEO, Arizona Hotel Lodging Association
The complete list of past winners is posted at www.azot.gov.

State Tourism Industry Finally Making a Comeback

PHOENIX, AZ (Capitol Media Services) - The study for the Arizona Office of Tourism shows there were nearly 40 million overnight visitors in Arizona last year. That is a 4 1/2 percent jump from 2009. All that translates to dollars, with the agency figuring that tourism generated $17.7 billion in direct spending. Sherry Henry, the state's tourism director, said Arizona has benefitted from an increasing number of international visitors. She credited some of that to a new federal law which created a special board to develop educational campaigns to help would-be international travelers.