“Arizona is loved by many, but a lot of it is also largely unknown,” said Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) Director Lisa Urias in her keynote presentation at the Fall Tourism Forum, hosted by NACOG (Northern Arizona Council of Governments), on Thursday, Oct. 10, in Camp Verde. “A lot of people don’t understand the full breadth of what Arizona has to offer.”

To change that, she discussed how AOT is considering ways to secure more funding for tourism promotion. She also revealed Arizona’s refreshed brand, which was released earlier this year, designed to better communicate the state’s “majestic beauty, vibrant culture and abundant diversity.”

AOT crafted the brand by traveling hundreds of miles across Arizona and asking more than 2,000 Arizonans in 57 communities what they love about their part of the state. “Arizonans built and own this story about who we are, what we hold dear and what we want amplified,” said Urias. “Every Arizonan can see a piece of themselves in the new brand.”

The chosen color palette includes turquoise, copper, desert sage, pine green, sunset magenta and warm sand. The ponderosa pine signifies Northern Arizona, the saguaro represents Central Arizona, and the hummingbird stands for Southern Arizona and its desert wildflowers, she said.

Drawing from 2023 statistics, Urias gave these reasons for updating the brand: Arizona has 45.2 million overnight visitors annually; direct travel spending by visitors adds up to $29.3 billion; $4.2 billion is generated in taxes from visitor spending; and some 187,000 jobs are supported by tourism directly, while another 300,000 are supported by tourism indirectly.

Speaking to Northern Arizona business owners and community leaders who want to encourage and enhance tourism, Urias listed tourists’ top choices for visiting the state: the outdoors, entertainment, cultural experiences and sporting activities. “Visitors want to experience life the way you live it,” she said.

As if answering the AOT call for sharing their lifestyle, Verde Valley winemakers discussed how Arizona vineyards have burst onto the tourism scene in a big way with tours and tasting rooms.

“People like to see where wine was made,” said Tom Pitts, founding president of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium. “You talk about the place, not the grape,” he said, noting that people won’t remember the particular grape grown, but will remember the region where the vineyards are, citing examples such as Bordeaux and Champagne, in France.

The economic impact of Arizona’s rapidly expanding wine industry, which now is pouring onto the global wine-loving scene, has grown more than 500% since 2011, according to a recent study conducted for AOT by the Economic Policy Institute at Northern Arizona University.

“The tremendous growth of Arizona’s wine industry can be attributed to several factors, including promoting the state’s unique grape-growing regions, development of Arizona’s wine-industry workforce, the proliferation of tasting rooms and visit-ready vineyards, and increasing promotion of Arizona wine country tourism experiences by AOT and others,” states an AOT news release.

“I believe we can grow any grape on the planet in Arizona,” said Eric Glomski of Page Springs Cellars, noting the many micro zones and opportunities across the state. “The majority of people, even in Arizona, don’t know that Arizona’s wines are world class.”

Ginger Mackenzie, owner of Vino Zona with wine tasting locations in Jerome, Sedona and Cottonwood, expressed the joy of promoting the pioneer spirit of Arizona’s wine industry. “We get to be ambassadors for Arizona wines!” she said.

Forest Service representatives also spoke at the forum, sharing their efforts to enhance tourism experiences. “Recreation is the portal for understanding and caring for natural resources and public lands,” said Tom Palmer of the Prescott National Forest.

Forum attendees also heard tips and strategies from members of the news media about how to promote their communities, attractions and businesses.

“One of the biggest takeaways from the media panel were the comments from reporters and editors about being approachable and wanting to hear story ideas from the community,” said Discover Flagstaff Media Relations and Marketing Project Manager Ryan Randazzo. “Sometimes it can be a little intimidating reaching out to the media, but the fact that they took time away from covering news to be there in person and encourage people in rural Arizona to pitch them stories shows they are committed to finding the best stories for their audiences.”

NACOG-Economic Workforce Development Regional Director Teri Drew called the forum “an overwhelming success,” showcasing the Economic Development Council’s dedication to Northern Arizona’s thriving tourism sector. 

“Attendees from four counties – Apache, Coconino, Navajo, and Yavapai – expressed positive feedback, appreciating the chance to connect directly with media contacts, like Quad Cities Business News,  as well as gain insights from top industry leaders,” said Drew. “With dynamic discussions on sustainable tourism, state and regional collaboration, a media panel, AOT, a wine panel and forest industry initiatives, the forum delivered both practical takeaways and an energizing impact.”

 The Fall Tourism Forum was sponsored in part by Flagstaff Business News. FBN

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN

Photos by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Business owners like “Big Mike,” of Route 66 Road Relics in Seligman, engaged with the media panel about promoting businesses and communities in rural Arizona.