New Year’s Resolutions for Sedona’s business community
THIS ARTICLE APPEARS IN THE RED ROCK NEWS
December 30, 2022
In the coming year, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau will continue to advocate for a balanced Sedona economy and policies that help small businesses. The hopes and dreams of hundreds of families, friends, neighbors and workers depend on a robust tourism-based economy that attracts visitors who come to savor, spend and stay.
We resolve to deepen the understanding between Sedona and our visitors, so they leave Sedona better than they found it — disposing of trash, supporting locally owned businesses, staying on trails using bike paths and public transit, voluntouring, and taking advantage of water bottle refill and EV charging stations. Sedona does its best to make sustainable behavior easy and expected; we will advocate for attracting visitors whose values resonate with ours.
We look towards an economic environment where lower interest rates make small business loans affordable and attractive, inflation loosens its grip on family budgets and travelers’ wallets, and energy and fuel prices moderate. Additionally, and striving for balanced visitation throughout the year, easing the ups-and-downs of our economic cycle while protecting our quality of life.
Additionally, we will continue our efforts to support the Red Rock OHV Conservation Crew. Independent businesses that participate in the RROCC are voluntarily contributing time and money to trail education, repairs and signage. A total of $115,000 was invested in materials including two new trail personnel for the Red Rock Ranger District, as well as over 400 volunteer hours. The commitment of RROCC is to balance the right to recreate on public lands with the environmental stewardship, preservation of our cultural heritage and care for resident quality of life required to ensure OHV access to our national forest is sustainable.
We look forward to the continued success of the shuttle service and a solid start for Sedona’s new demand response (Microtransit) service — the Sedona Shuttle Connect. Tens of thousands of hikers are leaving their vehicles in park-and-ride lots to enjoy complimentary shuttle rides to popular trailheads where in the past, inadequate trailhead parking lots left hikers haphazardly parking along roadside shoulders — forcing hundreds of pedestrians onto narrow and winding roadways that are simply not designed for them.
The planned Sedona Shuttle Connect service was delayed by vehicle supply chain issues this year. 2023 should see the ridesharing service operating along a corridor roughly three-quarters of a mile on either side of 89A from West Sedona to Uptown to include the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, Hillside Shopping Center and all shuttle park and ride locations. Passengers can book their ride through a mobile app, website, or with a live agent and get dropped off at their destination. Demand response shared ride transit service is another needed step in mitigating traffic.
In addition, Sedona’s ever-changing dynamics means we will adjust to change and develop a new agenda as the year unfolds. In January, we meet with the City Council to review tourism management for the rest of this fiscal year and envision a positive future. I look forward to bringing you up to date on those discussions.
Once again, Happy New Year! We wish for much success in caring for Sedona and its continued growth in 2023.
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–Michelle Conway, President/CEO
Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau