Despite the efforts of anti-Arizonans like Congressman Raul Grivalva, a boycott against the state this year appears to have failed miserably.
Grivalva was among the critics of Arizona's harsh immigration law, SB1070, who called for the boycott. City councils across the country passed toothless resolutions in favor of boycotting the Grand Canyon State, and tourism officials here worried about the potential loss of revenue.
All that angst was for nothing.
A recent survey by a travel company, as reported recently in the Business Journal, shows that Phoenix is No. 10 in the Top 10 domestic travel destinations, tying with Chicago for the position. That seems like a decent ranking when you consider that other destinations on the list included places like Hawaii, Orlando and being on an Alaskan cruise.
On top of that, the Arizona Republic reported yesterday that Phoenix resorts saw "significant increases" this year over 2009. Discounts and promotions offered by these resorts helped bring in customers, meaning the resorts wouldn't want too many years like 2010. But those kind of marketing tactics would be expected during tough economic times like these. In any case, it seems difficult to separate the relatively minor effect (if any) of a boycott from the overall, national lack of money. A liberal group claimed in November that the state had lost nearly $150 million because of the boycott. Even if that's true, it's nothing compared to the billions still flowing in, thanks to folks around the country who love to visit Arizona.
