Tucson & Southern Arizona Visitor Statistics

Tucson and Southern Arizona (includes Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties)*

  • 6.8 Million Domestic Overnight Visitors per Year (Source: AOT/Tourism Economics/Longwoods 2010)
  • $2.597 Billion in Direct Travel Spending (Source: AOT/Dean Runyan Associates 2010)
  • 27,295 Tourism Jobs - Direct Employment (Source: AOT/Dean Runyan Associates 2010)
  • $161.9 Million in Direct  Tax Receipts (Source: AOT/DEan Runyan Associates 2010)
  • Median age of visitors - 48 years (Source: AOT/Tourism Economics/Longwoods 2010)
  • Median income of visitors - $77,450 (Source: AOT/Tourism Economics/Longwoods 2010)
  • Average length of stay - 3.6 days
  • Average party size - 2.5 people (Source: AOT/Tourism Economics/Longwoods 2010)
  • Top states of visitor origin including Arizona - California, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, and Oregon

Tucson and Pima County*

  • 4 Million Domestic Overnight Visitors per Year (Source: Mitch Nichols Tourism Group 2006)
  • $2.022 Billion in Direct Travel Spending (Source: AOT/Dean Runyan Associates 2010)
  • 21,500 Tourism Jobs - Direct Employment (Source: AOT/Dean Runyan Associates 2010)
  • $124.1 Million in Direct Tax Receipts (Source: AOT/Dean Runyan Associates 2010)

Hospitality Facts

  • Lodging properties within Tucson city limits: 108 = 10,163 rooms
  • Lodging properties within Pima County: 196 = 16,696 rooms
  • City Bed Tax: 13.05% plus a $2 per room/per night surcharge.
  • County Bed Tax: 13.05%.
  • Oro Valley Bed Tax: 15.05%

Mexican Visitation and Spending in Pima County*

Mexico visitors are a valued market segment for the tourism industry in Tucson. The Mexican Visitors to Arizona, 2007-08 study by the University of Arizona states that Mexican visitors' expenditures in Pima County increased 237% from $289 million to $976 million from 2001 to 2007-08. Pima County receives 36.3% of the total expenditures by Mexican visitors in Arizona. The number of border crossings from Mexico to Arizona increased from 22.91 million in 2001 to 24.02 million in 2007-08, an increase of 4.92%.

According to the study, 13.37 million Mexican visitor parties visit Arizona while 1,008,176 parties' final destination was Tucson. Average party size is 2.68 people. Therefore, Tucson received 2,701,912 Mexican visitors. The percentage of Mexican visitors who stayed overnight in Arizona rose from less than 4% to 16%. This increase is due largely to the increased percentage of visitors to Metro Tucson on overnight visits.

98.9% of Arizona's Mexican visitors are from the state of Sonora. Shopping is still the primary reason for Mexican visitors to the US. Other reasons include visiting friends and family and work. The report attributes $976.4 million in expenditures to Mexican visitors to Pima County (5.2% of Pima County's taxable sales) and 2.3 million overnight visitors.

The Mexican Visitors to Arizona, 2007-08 study was conducted by the University of Arizona Economic and Business Research Center, reported by the Eller College of Management and sponsored by the Arizona Office of Tourism, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Maricopa County DMOs, and the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau.

     
  Top 10 Metro Tucson shopping destinations
for Mexican visitors:		 Top 10 Metro Tucson attractions
visited by Mexican tourists:
     
  1. Malls/shopping centers
2. Tucson Mall
3. Park Place
4. Foothills Mall
5. Plaza Palomino
6. El Con Mall
7. St. Philip's Plaza
8. La Encantada
9. Casas Adobes Plaza
10. Crossroads 		1. Casinos
2. Reid Park Zoo
3. Old Tucson Studios
4. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
5. Other museums
6. Saguaro National Park
7. San Xavier Mission
8. Tucson Convention Center
9. Concerts/theaters
10. Colossal Cave
     


 * All studies are separate and cannot be combined. For more information, please contact Jessica Stephens, Director of Communications and PR at 520-770-214.