Prescott leads travel and tourism during Travel Rally Day in support of the many ways travel contributes to the community.
The event was part of the 36th annual National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), which unites communities across the country to celebrate how travel matters to American jobs, economic growth and personal well-being.
The theme of this year’s NTTW, “Travel Matters,” highlights the innumerable ways in which travel makes up the fabric of Prescott’s culture and economy. Each day of NTTW will celebrate a different facet of travel: the economy, new experiences, jobs, infrastructure, health benefits, hometown pride and how travel strengthens families.
“Travel supports one in nine American jobs and tourism has a direct impact right here in Prescott, Arizona. We will hold an open house on Tuesday, May 7, from 2-4 p.m., at City Hall for all the tourism stakeholders. All tourism stakeholders and their staffs are invited. The Tourism Office will also conduct visits that week to our stakeholders,” said City of Prescott’s Community Outreach Manager John Heiney.
“In every pocket of America – from the largest cities to the smallest towns – travel matters,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “I, like so many others, got my start in the travel industry, and it shaped my life in ways I could have never imagined. This National Travel and Tourism Week, we’re celebrating how travel powers our economies, strengthens our communities and changes our lives.”
From small businesses to large industries, travel employs a diverse workforce in Prescott. The facts are:
Jobs are supported by travel and tourism.
Travel and tourism helps local tax revenue for Prescott
This is an important part of travel’s economic importance nationwide.
Travel is a $2.5 trillion industry in the U.S.
These visitors support 15.7 million American jobs – roughly 8.9 million direct travel jobs and 6.8 million indirect jobs.
Travel-related spending generated $171 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue in 2018.
“I have seen firsthand how much travel matters to our community,” said Margo Christensen with the Ponderosa Hotel Management Group. “We continue to see increases in occupancy and Transient Occupancy Tax (bed tax) collections and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center receives a steady flow of visitors every day from around the world. I’m proud of Prescott, and eager to welcome even more visitors here to show them why we love Prescott, Arizona so much.”
Heiney added, “Bed tax collections are approaching $1 million this year. This year alone, about 60 percent of collections are going directly back into the community in the form of special event grants to non-profits, and public improvements to trails, parks and open space.”
To learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week 2019, please visit our event page online at visit-prescott.com. QCBN
By Donna Werking
Donna Werking is the owner of Northern AZ Social, a Prescott digital marketing agency. Contact her: 928-710-7910 or NorthernAZsocial@gmail.com.