THIS ARTICLE APPEARS IN THE RED ROCK NEWS

August 4, 2023

 

One of the year’s best events is returning — the Northern Arizona Industry Forecast provided by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association and Smith Travel Research.  We will be combining this event with our monthly mixer for an excellent opportunity to both learn and network on August 16.  The event is sponsored by Enchantment Resort, Mii amo, Encore, and the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau.

The Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association, (AzLTA), is the statewide voice of advocacy for Arizona’s lodging and tourism industry, representing over 1400 hotels and resorts, Arizona’s sports teams, venues, airlines, airports, destination marketing organizations and hundreds of businesses that supply goods and services to the industry. Their pillars are focused on advocacy, education and collaboration.

This trade-based membership organization serves members through legislative advocacy, educational training, industry collaboration, cost-saving programs and promoting the value of Arizona travel and tourism.

Earlier this year, Kim Sabow, president, and CEO of AzLTA reiterated how our voice can make an impact on shaping public policy.

“We’ve got beautiful weather, golf courses, open areas, national parks, things of that nature, and I think oftentimes it’s easy when the policy is being set to think, “Well, we’ve got all these natural God-given assets, the visitors, the businesses, the conventions, they’ll just come.  Not so!” Sabow said. “It’s a very, very highly competitive industry. It’s always so important to remind policymakers about the importance of investing in this industry, positioning, promoting and elevating it so that we remain competitive.”

In working with AzLTA along with other industry organizations such as Destinations International (DI) and the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), we have a greater understanding of tourism trends, along with what policies are being made and how our industry is being affected which helps us to make purposeful decisions locally.

The AzLTA informs and advocates at the Federal level in support of strengthening the business operating environment for hotels and resorts, travel, tourism, professional sports and small businesses that support the industry.

“The AzLTA organization is crucial to promoting the Tourism and Lodging industry interests on the local, state and national level,” Stan Kantowski, Managing Director of Enchantment Resort & Mii Amo states. “Since Northern Arizona’s primary business is tourism, it is very beneficial to be on the AzLTA Board of Directors to lobby and discuss local issues that affect businesses that may not be affecting other areas of the state,” he said. “Being on the Board also allows us to take a deeper dive into current issues that can be communicated to local businesses in effort to protect and promote the industry.”

Stan Kantowski is on the Executive Committee of AzLTA. Lonnie Lillie, General Manager of Aiden by Best Western Sedona, and I serve on the Board of Directors of AzLTA. Having a Sedona team on the Board is essential because we can help advocate for important issues that affect our state and our region.

On Wednesday, August 16, at Enchantment Resort, Nicole LaSlavic, vice president of Government Affairs at AzTLA will be discussing the current state of the legislature/executive branch. Topics range from affordable housing, short-term rentals and how it impacts the industry, workforce shortages, labor union threats, funding mechanisms to properly market tourism, employer protection and overreaching ordinances. Although some of these topics may not necessarily be on the docket currently in legislation, they are top of mind for the industry. LaSlavic will present her insight into the 2024 session.

Vail Ross, senior vice president of Smith Travel Research (STR), a company which provides market data on the hotel industry world-wide will be on hand to give an overview of Sedona’s hotel industry, metrics and market share.

Following this important Industry Forecast, let’s gather for networking and mingling. We look forward to seeing you!

For more information and to register for the event, visit SedonaChamberEvents.com.

–Michelle Conway, President/CEO
Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau

---