Rachel Sacco is President and CEO of Experience Scottsdale and a resident of Paradise Valley.
Scottsdale Courtesy Experience
Rachel Sacco | Paradise Valley
National Travel and Tourism Week will be celebrated from May 19th to 25th this year. This week focuses on the important role of travel in stimulating economic growth, fostering vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, stimulating new business, and improving the quality of Americans’ daily lives. I’ll guess.
For more than a century, people have traveled long distances to relax and rejuvenate in Scottsdale. Tourism is the foundation of our city and the backbone of our local economy. Although Scottsdale’s economy is diversified with expansion in construction, high-tech, health care, and other industries, Scottsdale ranks first in employment, tax revenue, economic impact, and, most notably, contributions to quality of life. The following industry remains one of the largest industries today. .
According to Applied Economics, Scottsdale’s 10.8 million annual visitors inject $3.2 billion into the local economy each year. Visitor spending supports the livelihoods of more than 24,000 people in our community and makes friends in a rewarding industry with plenty of growth opportunities and jobs, from restaurant workers to spa directors to resort general managers. , families, and neighbors to work.
Many of Scottsdale’s hospitality businesses are small, locally owned and operated businesses. According to Local First Arizona, for every $100 spent at locally-owned businesses, $43 remains in the local economy. Experience Scottsdale helps foster the growth of small businesses in our community by driving visitor growth and promoting all of Scottsdale’s amenities.
The time visitors spend at Scottsdale’s hotels, shopping centers, art galleries, and businesses of all sizes generates significant revenue for the city’s tax coffers. In fact, 21% of the city’s total privilege tax collections come from visitors. The bed tax and sales tax revenue generated by these tourists not only supports critical public services such as police, fire, and transportation, but also improves cities in other ways.
Each year, the city invests millions of visitor tax dollars into capital projects that benefit Scottsdale residents. On average, over the past 13 years, the City of Scottsdale has invested more than $6 million of bed tax revenue into capital projects each year. This year, the city has budgeted $16 million in bed taxes for capital projects to support attractions and venues such as Scottsdale’s Westworld, Western Spirit: Museum of the Scottsdale West, TPC Scottsdale, and Scottsdale Stadium. There is.
These are pillars of our community that welcome visitors and locals alike, including special events and festivals. Special events energize our community throughout the year, and last year $4.4 million in bed tax revenue supported nearly 40 community and special events, from the Parada del Sol Parade to Canal Convergence and more.
Visitors to Scottsdale create demand for these special events and amenities that make Scottsdale a dynamic place to live, work, and visit. We all have a stake in the health and vitality of Scottsdale’s tourism industry and destination promotion because we all use our resorts, golf courses, spas, arts and cultural attractions, shops, restaurants, and more. Since 1987, the Experience Scottsdale promotion has solidified Scottsdale’s brand as an upscale travel destination and brings millions of visitors to the Scottsdale community each year. Longwoods International research reveals that Experience Scottsdale contributes to positive destination perceptions and generates $116 in visitor spending and $4 in state and local tax revenue for every dollar spent on advertising. I did.
During National Travel and Tourism Week, we invite you to join Experience Scottsdale and hundreds of hospitality businesses across the city in recognizing the valuable role of travel in the success of Scottsdale’s economy, community, and residents. .
Rachel Sacco is President and CEO of Experience Scottsdale. He welcomes reader responses, both for and against, at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
