Tourism in Arizona has not returned to breaking records. But it’s getting there.
After the COVID-19 pandemic ended a series of record years for overnight visits and tourism spending, Arizona recouped much of the losses from the pandemic in 2021 and surpassed national tourism recovery averages. .
The Arizona Office of Tourism recorded 40.9 million overnight visits statewide in 2021, up from 32.1 million in 2020, according to new data released on July 11. Night visits were 87% of pre-pandemic levels; total visits in 2019 were 46.8 million, an all-time record.
The diversity of possible experiences in Arizona has been a significant factor in the state’s ability to recover from the pandemic, said Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism.
Put simply, people can personalize their experiences based on what they’re most comfortable doing, he said.
“For some people, it was a resort stay,” Johnson said. “For others, it was a campsite in the middle of nowhere.”
Do you need a vacation? JSX adds Phoenix-San Diego flights. Here’s how to get a deal
Improve tourism spending
Visitor spending is also closer to pre-pandemic levels, with the $ 23.6 billion generated by vacationers in 2021 accounting for 92% of the $ 25.6 billion in 2019.
Arizona’s tourism spending surpassed the nation as a whole, which recovered 76% of 2019 spending.
Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix metropolitan area, benefited the most from this visitor spending with $ 13.9 billion in 2021.
Counties including Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, and Grand Canyon National Park also benefited from 2021 visitor spending. Arizona tourists spent $ 1.6 billion in Coconino County and $ 1.2 billion in county by Yavapai in 2021; tourism spending in Yavapai increased by more than 25% from pre-pandemic levels.
Higher visitor spending translates to a greater economic impact on places people visit, Governor Doug Ducey said in a statement.
“It is not surprising to see throngs of people who come to visit our state,” he said. “Tourism in Arizona translates directly into economic benefits for communities across the state.”
New at Phoenix Airport:Southwest Airlines gets its own competition. What passengers will find
The Arizonans lead the overnight stays
The 40.9 million people who stayed overnight in Arizona in 2021 represented 87 percent of 2019 levels, slightly above 85 percent nationwide from the pre-pandemic, the tourism office said.
Arizona’s biggest tourism drivers in 2021 were Arizona itself. With 10.8 million visitors, Arizona was the first state of origin for overnight stays, followed by California with 6.5 million visitors and Texas with 2.5 million visitors.
Johnson said marketing campaigns during the pandemic partly encouraged Arizona to explore their state.
“The people who live here still want to explore,” he said. “There are places here that I haven’t seen and they are in tourism.”
International travel to Arizona is still overdue
Domestic travel drove much of the 2021 tourism upswing. Far fewer international visitors arrived last year, Johnson said.
The Arizona Office of Tourism recorded 3 million overnight stays by international travelers in 2021, down 51% from 2019.
State tourism marketers continue to work to rebuild international tourism. Johnson said his staff contacts tourism marketers in every country that has flights to and from Arizona to encourage international travel to the state.
“That international visit is key, and it’s statewide, not just urban areas,” he said.
Overall, Johnson doesn’t expect Arizona tourism to return or break the 2019 record no earlier than 2023. But he thinks the number of overnight stays and visitor spending in 2021 are signs of promise.
“The beauty of Arizona is that our geographic diversity lends itself to a little bit of everything,” he said.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @salerno_phx.
Support local journalism. Join azcentral.com today.