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Ace in the hole: tourism

Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 - 05:28:10 am MST

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Arizona, along with the nation, is suffering a recession.

Yet there is at least one ray of hope, according to a report recently released by the Arizona Office of Tourism.

That report indicates travelers spent about $351 million in Cochise County in 2007, up 7.1 percent from 2006. Restaurants received most of that money. Granted, this is dated information. The current year has shown some declines in accommodation sales that seem to be in line with the recession. Most travelers are from in-state as Americans are taking shorter recreational trips.

However, Cochise County is a proven attraction for tourists. The growth from 2006 to 2007 is encouraging for a future trend.

Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains was rated the No. 36 hot spot in Arizona by the Office of Tourism. The Grand Canyon is No. 1.

The Chiricahua Wilderness, the Dragoons and other mountain ranges offer unparalleled recreational experiences. The cities of Bisbee and Tombstone contain plenty of historic fascination.

Kay Daggett, director of the Sierra Vista Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the bureau’s marketing strategy is to advertise this region’s treasures to people in the nation and world who might wish to bicycle or hike in our mountains, go birding along our San Pedro River, visit the ancient petroglyphs or experience other adventures in the Wild West.

Tourism is a proven, viable industry in Cochise County. It challenges us to place a high value on those assets that attract visitors. To maintain that value, we must exercise the best conservation practices of our natural resources and the smartest planning in our urban zone.

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prophet wrote on Sep 1, 2008 8:08 AM:

" Thats wonderful, so much tourism here. But how about jobs that actually provide an income. If you work for the government you are fine, everyone else has to make do in construction, whoops!construction is way down. Drive a cement truck? Real slow. Run a backhoe, slow, Build homes? Laid off. Not even landscaping to fall back on. Fast food and gas marts got openings. Oh well, least we got tourism. "

Billy you nailed it wrote on Aug 27, 2008 8:23 PM:

" The hotels, the bars, the eating places, are all doing great. And the only reason is the TDY's. Even the hotels that aren't up to par, (can't mention names) but around a $100 for a room that hasn't been updated in years, have a good occupancy rate, as it is paid for by the government. "

Billy Hill wrote on Aug 27, 2008 5:05 PM:

" What percentage of that "Tourism" in Cochise county was actually Military here for TDY or School? Don't paint a picture that isn't true. "