Last week, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced the release of $101 million in federal funds to help jump-start the state’s tourism industry, which was hit hard during the pandemic. And, Sedona plans to get in on the action.
Thanks to federal American Rescue Plan funding, the Visit Arizona Initiative, a program designed to “increase visitation and tourism spending in Arizona, bolster job creation and accelerate economic recovery,” was created. It includes funding for destination marketing organizations statewide, reinvigorating local community programs and events, and marketing support for domestic and international flights and outdoor recreation.
“Tourism is essential for Arizona’s booming economy and job growth,” Ducey said in a statement. “When visitors from across the globe travel to our great state, they stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants, buy our products and enjoy our recreational activities. Their investments benefit Arizonans, and the Visit Arizona Initiative will help our tourism sector prosper — and continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic.”
Sedona Chamber President and CEO Candace Carr Strauss confirmed that the chamber will be applying for grants as part of this program.
“There are three funding opportunities that have been shared to this point,” she said. “We are awaiting more detail to determine how we will proceed.”
Guidelines are expected by July 31 and there will be an hour-long session at the Arizona Governor’s Conference Aug 2 to 4 to discuss them.
The Sedona City Council made it abundantly clear that it will not fund any destination marketing as part of this year’s funding to the chamber, which is expected to be around $2.1 million. In terms of how any federal funding received by the chamber will be spent, that has yet to be determined.
“The city is contracting the Sedona Chamber for professional services that this year do not include destination marketing,” Strauss said. “We will not spend city bed tax allocated dollars on destination marketing. The chamber board of directors is the body that determines the scope of work of the organization, and will determine our path forward.”
As it did globally, the tourism industry in Arizona endured losses in visitation, visitor spending, tourism tax revenue and employment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of federal American Rescue Plan money will assist communities across the state in recovery through tourism marketing, event and attraction support, and outdoor recreation revitalization.
Arizona’s 2020 overnight visitation decreased by 31% and visitor spending decreased by 41% compared to 2019 numbers, according to recent data provided by the state.
Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, told the Sedona Red Rock News she felt a variety of emotions when she heard about the funding.
“I’m excited about all the ways we’ll be able to continue to expand our promotion of Arizona as a premier travel destination, especially among increasingly fierce competition from other states and destinations,” she said. “Plus, this funding enables us to continue to support our tourism and hospitality partners across the entire state at a high level.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Gov. Ducey for his continued support and recognition of the positive impact tourism has on Arizona’s economy.”
Johnson said the funding is critical considering that tourism and hospitality was the hardest-hit industry during the pandemic.
“Investing in tourism is one of the fastest ways to support small business and community recovery across all 15 Arizona counties,” she said.
Johnson and her team are still finalizing all the program details and requirements, but they encourage any organization or business that wants more information to express their interest at tourism.az.gov/grants. Filling out the brief form at the “Express Your Interest” link ensures those who are interested are notified as soon as they release program details.
“At its core, the Visit Arizona Initiative is designed to deliver tourism industry support where it’s most needed,” Johnson said. “Some examples include marketing for destinations statewide, reinvigorating local community programs and events, marketing support for domestic and international flights and outdoor recreation.
“As tourism returns and competition from other states increases, this funding also enables AOT to deliver on its own mission of executing visitor marketing campaigns, supporting industry partners and communities with strategic recovery planning and promoting sustainable and responsible tourism. The Visit Arizona Initiative will ensure these programs continue and grow to meet the needs of the industry.”
For more information, visit tourism.az.gov/grants.
