Honoring National Travel and Eco-Tourism Week – Flagstaff Business News

The travel industry is a major pillar in Northern Arizona’s economy, and that contribution to the community is celebrated each year in May during National Travel and Tourism Week.

Discover Flagstaff is putting its own spin on the May 19-25 celebration by dubbing it National Travel and Eco-Tourism Week, reflecting the important community values we want visitors to be aware of in our city.

Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas with a focus on protecting and learning about those environments, as well as sustaining the well-being of the local people.

Discover Flagstaff encourages people to visit Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, Coconino National Forest, Wupatki, Sunset Crater Volcano and Walnut Canyon national monuments and all the other natural wonders in our area. And as the designated Convention and Visitors Bureau, we also encourage visitors to travel responsibly, Leave No Trace, Be Fire Aware, and Stay and Play Responsibly.

Issues such as ensuring visitors are aware and educated on wildfire prevention and know the appropriate locations for snow play are critical to our community. We know these initiatives are important to the citizens of Flagstaff and to all the visitors who enjoy our city.

Last year, Discover Flagstaff introduced a new digital Trails Passport with the goal of helping visitors get outdoors while also dispersing some of the traffic at the region’s most popular trailheads. The passport also helps visitors find a place where they are more likely to enjoy the high-altitude solitude.   

The Flagstaff Trails Passport lists more than 30 beautiful places to hike and ride a bike. People (including locals) can earn prizes for checking in at the different locations. The digital passport can be downloaded to mobile devices and offers trail descriptions as well as directions to the trailhead. It is available at discoverflagstaff.com.

Along the same theme, the Discover Flagstaff Pledge for the Wild program is all about responsible visitation and giving back to our community to keep Flagstaff’s wild places wild.   

This public education effort is for both locals and visitors to keep our destination beautiful, sustainable, clean and to educate all users how to use trails responsibly. The program benefits the local, non-profit Flagstaff Trails Initiative with trail management, and it is easy to participate. Simply text WILD4FLAG to 44321 with a donation. Tourism helps fund all of these public awareness initiatives.

Discover Flagstaff also lives by this commitment to the community and is planning a Service Day from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22 to help clean up the community. This year’s project will clean up areas along Route 66 in cooperation with the city’s Sustainability Department and help raise awareness for the upcoming 2026 Centennial event celebrating the storied highway. (RSVP by May 15 to join us by contacting Sabrina.Beard@flagstaffaz.gov.)

Since 2018, Discover Flagstaff has collected about 200 pounds of trash and recyclables during its semiannual cleanups around the city.

Visitors benefit the community in many other ways as well. Flagstaff sees more than 5 million visitors a year, and their spending in the city supports about 8,000 jobs, or nearly one-tenth the number of people who live in Flagstaff.

A 2018 study found visitors brought about $750 million in economic benefits to the city. The Bed, Board and Beverage (BBB) tax generates revenue that is used for beautification, arts and sciences and recreation, including city parks and facilities.

As an example, the Bushmaster, Foxglenn and Thorpe playgrounds all were constructed using BBB funds.

The 2% tax on hotel rooms, vacation rentals, campgrounds, restaurants and bars is paid mostly – 68% – by visitors.

A separate 2023 study for the Arizona Office of Tourism found that on average, the travel industry saves every Arizona household an average of $878 because of the tax burden paid by visitors rather than locals. That number is far higher in Flagstaff, where one study found tourism reduces the average annual household tax burden by about $1,330.

That’s quite a lot to celebrate. FBN

By Ryan Randazzo

Learn more at discoverflagstaff.com and the Flagstaff Visitor Center (1 E. Rt. 66).

Ryan Randazzo is the marketing and media relations project manager for Discover Flagstaff. He can be reached at Ryan.Randazzo@FlagstaffAZ.gov or 928-814-9623