Arizona tourism spending reaches record highs in 2019

PHOENIX — The tourism industry in the Grand Canyon State remained strong in 2019 and set record highs for spending, the Arizona Office of Tourism announced Wednesday.

Arizona visitors spent a record $25.6 billion in the state’s almost 100 cities and communities, equating to about $70 million in spending per day.

A record 194,300 tourism industry jobs were directly generated from the spending, according to research from the state’s tourism office. The travel industry supported more than 361,000 jobs in 2019.

Additionally, the record spending resulted in the generation of $3.78 billion in combined local, state and federal tax revenue. The revenue reduced the annual tax burden by $1,400 for each Arizona household.

“We’re proud to recognize the efforts of so many across Arizona’s travel industry which resulted in these record-breaking benchmarks,” Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, said in a press release.

“While we’re very focused on the recovery of our industry during the next year, this 2019 data helps reinforce the critical role a strong tourism industry plays in Arizona’s economic re-energization.”

The state also released its Tourism Strategic Recovery Plan on Wednesday.

The plan offers guidance and other strategies on how the industry can bounce back from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The tourism office released its Rediscover Arizona campaign in May, which utilizes a phased approach that initially focuses on providing Arizonans with a variety of ways to enjoy their home state during the pandemic.

“The foundation our industry has built through the best of times will continue to serve us through these challenging times,” Johnson said. “We’ll use the strategies outlined in our Tourism Strategic Recovery Plan to stabilize, recover and rebuild our travel industry, which supports so many Arizonans.”

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