The message was clear — a change is afoot in terms of Sedona tourism.
That was shared by Sedona Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff during the annual partner meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
She said that with the Sustainable Tourism Plan in action, the chamber is advocating for Sedona in a new way as tourism itself changes. Visitors no longer come for a few snapshots and a driving tour, she said. They want a shareable experience that resonates with their personal values and their sense of what is authentic and unique.
“Tactics in the STP that promote visitor interactions with our environment and our residents dovetail with this changing attitude,” Wesselhoff said. “We are educating guests on respecting our environment and our local culture. Initiatives such as voluntourism and energy and water reduction education are just a few examples. There are more to come.
“We are putting it out there that in Sedona, we welcome visitors who are open to reducing their impact and being part of a sustainable future.”
The chamber, in partnership with the city of Sedona, Nichols Tourism Group, Arizona State University’s Center for Sustainable Tourism and a local advisory group, worked for more than a year to create the Sustainable Tourism Plan.
The plan, approved in March, is meant to be a comprehensive approach to managing tourism in a way that ensures a vibrant economy while preserving a healthy environ¬ment and high quality of life, a city report states.
Wesselhoff discussed the four pillars of the Sustainable Tourism Plan, which include:
-Environment: Lead the tourism industry in implementing sustain¬ability principles while positioning Sedona as a national and international leader in destination stewardship.
-Resident Quality of Life: Protect and enhance the quality of life by mitigating the impacts of tourism.
-Quality of the Economy: Shape the Sedona economy in ways that balance its long-term sustainability and vibrancy.
-Visitor Experience: Continue to provide an excellent visitor experience that highlights Sedona’s sustainability values and keeps visitors coming back.
Wesselhoff said that for every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $73 remains in the local economy to circulate. She also said that from July 1, 2018, to June 30 of this year bed tax collections were up 8% over the previous year, or $356,000. In addition, sales tax collections were up 6% to $1,068,000, while lodging sales were up $10.2 million. While occu¬pancy stayed flat, the average daily room rate went up 4%.
According to a city of Sedona financial report, during the last fiscal year compared to the previous one, amusement and entertainment rose 22% as did hotels [19%], retail [15%] and restaurants [13%].
Debbie Johnson, director of Arizona Office of Tourism, said the state saw 45.5 million overnight visi¬tors in 2018, which was an increase of 3.5% over 2017. And, those people spent $24.4 billion in direct spending, up 7.8%. And in Yavapai County, she said visitor spending resulted in $46.4 million in local taxes and $41.9 million in state taxes.
As they do every year, the chamber recognizes members who have hit milestones in terms of the number of years they have been in business. Those members recognized for their anniversaries included:
45 Years
Star Motel
40 Years
Pink Jeep Tours
Suddenlink Communications
Briar Patch Inn on Oak Creek
35 Years
Cress on Oak Creek
Unity of Sedona
Sedona Motors
30 Years
Free Soul Mind/Body Education
Sedona Public Library
Unisource Energy Services
Sedona United Methodist Church
Sedona Rentals
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Your Sedona Connection
Mountain Trails Galleries Sedona
Hillside Sedona
25 Years
Roy & Michelle Grimm of Re/Max of Sedona
The Red Rock Ranger District
Arizona Weddings in Sedona
The Arabella Sedona
A Day In The West
Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano
Christ Center Wesleyan Church
The Suites at Sedona
Sedona Spa at Los Abrigados
J&H Publishing Ltd
Additional awards included Janeen Trevillyan and the Sedona Heritage Museum receiving the Cultural Achievement Award; Gerardo Moceri and Gerardo’s Italian Kitchen taking home the Sustainability award; and Shor Solutions winning the Customer Service Excellence Award.
