Tourism

As the old saw goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s the message coming out of Arizona Shuttle, whose Prescott-based ShuttleU brand is being retired to make room for new company branding statewide.

According to Arizona Shuttle Marketing Director Fred Gould, “What we want to say to our loyal ShuttleU customers is that we’re the same well-run company we were last week, last month, or last year. The only thing that’s changed is the name, and the look of the vehicles.”

Arizona Shuttle acquired ShuttleU approximately two years ago, retaining much of the same operating team. Since then, the company has upgraded the vehicles on the route, put in place new scheduled maintenance and safety procedures, and increased local employment by 100 percent. The service now schedules 18 round-trips daily between the greater Prescott area and Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport, using class-leading Mercedes Sprinter vans.

In addition, Arizona Shuttle is the primary provider of ground transportation from Flagstaff, Sedona, Cottonwood and Camp Verde to the Phoenix Airport and other points in metropolitan Phoenix. It also operates a service for tourists between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon as well as connects Flagstaff with Sedona.

As part of a fresh marketing initiative for 2013/2014, the company has embarked on a new look and feel for the brand, as well as bringing divisions with different names under the Arizona Shuttle umbrella.  The other service affected is Sedona-Phoenix Shuttle, which was acquired by Arizona Shuttle early in 2012.

According to Arizona Shuttle General Manager Jeff Colson, “Not only will the re-branding allow us to unify and consolidate our marketing efforts, it will allow us to build a consistent brand statewide, with all the positive attributes we’ve become known for. At the same time, we’re also unifying and consolidating our operations statewide, to make it easier for our customers to plan their routes, book their travel, and know what to expect on any route we serve.”

The re-branding effort is being handled by Sedona marketing firm Flesch, Pritchard & Peebler (fp²), which also developed the company’s new tag line, “Getting you from A to Z.”

“We’re very happy with the bold new look of our vans, as part of the re-brand,” added Colson.  “These vehicles are moving billboards for us, so we wanted to make sure that they stood out from the rest of the traffic out there and made a positive impression.”

Gould said, “We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to grow even during the recession, so, with the economy slowly improving, tourism on the rise again, and with the continued support of our loyal customers, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to sustain and even accelerate our growth by attracting new customers under our new branding, and with the new marketing plan.” QCBN

By Anthony Flesch

Arizona Shuttle is based in Tucson with offices in Flagstaff, Sedona/Cottonwood, Prescott and Phoenix.    

 

 

 

Governor Jan Brewer today announced the State of Arizona will continue funding Grand Canyon National Park in light of the continued federal government shutdown.

 

“Grand Canyon’s importance to Arizona’s tourism industry and overall economy cannot be ignored,” said Governor Brewer. “While I am pleased the state is able to ensure the Canyon remains open during this critical season, it is well past time for the federal government to end this shutdown and pay its bills. We are doing our job. It’s time the President and Congress do theirs.”

 

On Friday, the governor negotiated an agreement to reopen Grand Canyon for up to at least seven days using state and local monies. Under the terms of the agreement, the State of Arizona is paying $93,000 per day to the National Park Service to fully fund park operations. Governor Brewer today authorized the use of state dollars from the Arizona Office of Tourism to continue funding the Canyon for up to an additional nine days, throughOctober 27, if the federal budget stalemate in Washington persists. If the shutdown ends prior to then, Arizona will be refunded for any unspent days.

 

Visitors to Arizona’s national parks have spent an average of $2.5 million a day during October in recent years – $1.2 million per day at Grand Canyon National Park alone.

 

The State of Arizona will seek support from members of its congressional delegation to authorize federal reimbursement of any state dollars expended to fund park operations during the shutdown.

 

Photo by Bill Ferris  http://www.flickr.com/people/billferris/

Fresh snow in the high county has outdoor enthusiasts pulling out their snow gear in anticipation of what Arizona Snowbowl expects to be its best season yet.

As a reminder that the ski season is only 50 days away on the San Francisco Peaks, the ski resort received three to five inches of new snow last night, a sign for skiers and snowboarders to get those boards waxed and those discounted season passes picked up.

Arizona Snowbowl crews are preparing the snow guns that soon will be fired up and spraying out a solid base that will blanket many of the trails on the mountain.

“Given the typical cold temperatures that we anticipate around Thanksgiving, we are planning to have enough snow, even without natural snow, to open the trails and lifts on Sunset and Hart Prairie for Black Friday,” said Arizona Snowbowl General Manager J.R. Murray.

For the first time in the ski resort’s 75-year history, Arizona Snowbowl can guarantee a ski season with four months of snow. All Unlimited Season Passes now provide 120+ days of skiing and riding at Snowbowl from late November through early April. Unlimited Season Passholders also will be able to magnify their winter recreation experience through the Powder Alliance, a more than $2,000 value that adds three free days of skiing at each of the 11 other well-known participating Western ski resorts, including Crested Butte, Snowbasin and Sierra-at-Tahoe.

The Midweek Season Pass is now the Snowbowl Select Adult Pass with more days. It is valid Mondays through Fridays, except over the Christmas holiday and Saturday blackouts, plus early and spring season Sundays. Martin Luther King and Presidents’ Day also are included. In addition, Snowbowl Select Adult Passholders receive 50 percent off window lift ticket rates on blackout dates. “This is the right pass for those who have the opportunity to ski midweek and are more selective about when they ski,” said Murray.

Arizona Snowbowl Season Passes are available for the pre-season rate through Oct. 16, online and at the Drury Inn & Suites this weekend, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. onSunday, Oct. 13. For a complete listing of Arizona Snowbowl Season Passes, including student and senior rates, visit www.arizonasnowbowl.com

The National Park Service today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the State of Arizona that will allow Grand Canyon National Park to re-open and temporarily operate during the government shutdown.

 

 

 

Due to the lack of appropriations from Congress, the Department of the Interior was forced to close all national parks across the country last week and furlough more than 20,000 National Park Service employees who ensure the safety of visitors and the security of the resources.

 

 

 

Responding to the economic impacts that the park closures are having on many communities and local businesses, Secretary of the Interior Jewell announced Thursday that she will consider agreements with Governors who indicate an interest and ability to fully fund National Park Service personnel to re-open national parks in their states.

 

 

 

“This is a practical and temporary solution that will lessen the pain for some businesses and communities in Arizona during this shutdown,” said Secretary Sally Jewell. “We want to re-open all of our national parks as quickly possible for everyone to enjoy and call on Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to open the government.”

 

 

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Arizona will donate funds to the National Park Service for the sole purpose of enabling National Park Service employees to re-open and manage Grand Canyon National Park.

 

 

 

The agreement funds Grand Canyon for a period of 7 days, running from Saturday, October 12 through Friday, October 18 at the donated amount of $651,000.00.

 

 

 

Entrances to Grand Canyon will open to the public beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 12. These include the North Rim Entrance Station, the Desert View Entrance Station, and the South Rim Entrance Station. Visitors should be aware that during the first 48 hours many services will be limited.

 

 

 

As stated in the October 7 announcement of the River Permits Accommodation Plan, permittees who had launch dates three days prior to opening and including opening day, may choose to get a refund for permit fees and reschedule. River permit holders with the current launch date will have priority to launch on their scheduled date.

 

 

 

Xanterra South Rim, LLC and Delaware North Companies, Inc. will re-open concessions operated services with limited amenities for the first 48 hours. Guests with hotel reservations should contact Xanterra South Rim directly at 928-638-2631.

 

 

 

The North Rim will re-open for day use with limited visitor services available. The Grand Canyon Lodge operated by Forever Resorts will also re-open with limited guest services; individuals with lodge reservations should contact Forever Resorts 877-386-4383.

During the federal government shutdown in 1995, Arizona operated Grand Canyon at a cost of about $17,000 a day; that figure is expected to be much higher today.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors issued this statement earlier today.

“The Coconino County Board of Supervisors supports today’s decision by the federal government to allow state officials to finance the reopening of our National Parks shuttered by the government shutdown. We urge Gov. Jan Brewer to work with our federal partners to reopen our state’s National Parks as quickly and orderly as possible.

“The closure of the Grand Canyon National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell has greatly impacted local businesses and families throughout Coconino County. Each day these areas remain closed millions in tourism dollars are lost.

The Board has sent letters to our Congressional delegation detailing how the shutdown continues to impact the County, our residents, businesses and local tourism industry. The County will continue to work with our federal, state and local officials to help minimize the impact of the shutdown to our residents.”

Photo credit: Bill Ferris Photography

 

“The engine is the heart of an aeroplane, but the pilot is its soul.” ~ Greg Brown

If we could see the world from the edge of a flying carpet, how could we ever measure it again? On September 21, Sharlot Hall Museum will take visitors to a world rarely visited by humans. For 40 years, Greg Brown – flight instructor, photographer, artist, and author – photographed the world from 7,000 feet above. From his personal Flying Carpet, Missouri fields become crazy quilts; the edge of the Painted Desert is a beaded buckskin sleeve, and Lake Tahoe becomes a chalice suspended over an unknowing village below.

Brown writes a popular column in Flight Training, a magazine produced by AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association). He also has written five aviation-related books that reach an international audience. Brown’s talent and Masters Degree in Fine Art is matched by his flying expertise. Besides his flying credentials, he was awarded the 2000 National Flight Instructor of the Year. His truly magical gifts are an artist’s eye and a pilot’s advantages. Brown’s images are not documentary photographs about ground features or weather conditions; they are earthly paintings snatched from the air above.

Accompanying Brown’s spectacular images is a short video that begins as the Flying Carpet is rolled from its hangar and takes to the air over northern Arizona. Over red cliffs that reach above Sedona, he always finds something new and exhilarating to shoot. Snap! The photograph begins. The video also opens the technological door behind the images, showing how nature’s hues and shadows are matched in the final prints.   

Sharlot Hall Museum will be pleased to present Greg Brown’s world in Views from the Flying Carpet, an exhibit of his aerial odysseys. The exhibit opens to the public in the Museum Theater on Saturday, September 21, and runs until March 2, 2014.