May 2008 Newsletter

Welcome to TourISm Tucson (pronounced "Tourism Is Tucson"), your monthly e-newsletter from the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau (MTCVB). Each month, we invite you to use this medium to stay informed of news and other information that will help ensure your success as a partner of Tucson's tourism community.

More Travelers are Going Green
As more travelers become environmentally conscious, hotels and resorts around the world are adopting more eco-friendly practices, not only to bring in new business but also to save money and reduce costs. A recent survey by the Travel Industry Association (TIA) found more than half of all U.S. adults say they would be more likely to patronize hotels or resorts they knew practiced environmental responsibility, or green tourism.

Consumers say they would favor properties that used environmentally friendly processes: such as those that allow guests the option to re-use their own linens; use energy-efficient lighting and low flow toilets and showers; request that newspapers not be automatically left outside their guest room; use room sensors that shut down lights and appliances when a guest leaves the room; offer usable bars of soap, individual shampoos, and other amenities for donation to various charities, schools, and/or staff. Many consumers are actively seeking partnership with properties and businesses that have received certifications such as LEED, EPA Energy Star, Green Seal, Audubon Green Leaf, and others.

To stay responsive to the needs of our visitors, our partners, and our local environment and residents, now and in the future, the MTCVB is developing a web page devoted to information on and promotion of green tourism in Tucson. Recently, we sent an online survey to partners to help gauge the extent of their efforts. If you haven't completed the survey, please do so today! To read more about TIA's take on green tourism, click here. 

Work It      

First Tuesday: Tucson Ambassadors Program Update 
Tuesday, May 6, 11:45 am to 1pm at Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St. Tucson AZ 85719. Featuring Vicki Doyle, MTCVB Vice President/Partner Development and Visitor Services. Sponsored by Encore Creative. For details or to RSVP, click here. 
 
National Tourism Week 2008 Luncheon
Monday, May 12, 11:30am-1:30pm at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, 3800 E. Sunrise Dr., Tucson AZ 85718. To launch National Tourism Week 2008, the MTCVB will host a luncheon celebrating the first anniversary of the Tucson Ambassadors Program. All CTAs are invited. For details, click here.

2008 Partner Orientation & Refresher 
Wednesday, May 14, 8:30-10 am in the Board Room, MTCVB Administrative Office, 100 S. Church Ave. Tucson 85701. Here is an opportunity to learn tips for making the most of partnership with the MTCVB. Ideal for businesses new to the MTCVB as well as existing partners or new employees in need of an information refresher. Free. To RSVP, click here.

AOT Workshop: How to Create Effective Collateral Material
Thursday, May 15, 1pm - 4pm at Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort, 10000 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, AZ 85704. Complimentary workshop presented by the AOT's Arizona Tourism University offers tips on creating brochures, guides, and other travel collateral - from project inception to the distribution of the final product. To register, contact Meghan Dorn at 602-364-3708 or mdorn@azot.gov.

Call for Tourism Award Nominations
Thursday, May 15 is the last day to submit nominations for the Governor's Tourism Awards. These industry awards honor individuals and organizations that have made noteworthy contributions during the past year for the betterment of Arizona's tourism industry. The winners will be awarded at the Governor's Tourism Awards Luncheon, Thursday, July 10, at the Westin La Paloma. Details about award categories, guidelines, and nomination forms are at the Governor's Conference on Tourism section of www.azot.gov. To register, click here.

First Tuesday: Astronomy Tourism 
Tuesday, June 3, 11:45 am to 1pm at Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St. Tucson AZ 85719. Featuring Rich Fedele, Public Outreach Manager, Kitt Peak National Observatory. Sponsored by Madden Media.  For details or to RSVP, click here.  

Annual Partner Gathering, June 25
Wednesday, June 25, 5pm to 8 pm at Desert Diamond Casino Hotel, Monsoon Nightclub 7400 S. Nogales Hwy, Tucson, AZ 85706. A fun evening dancing to the upbeat sounds of local band Midlife Crisis and dining on hors d'oeuvres at the Monsoon Nightclub at the all-new Desert Diamond Casino Hotel. After 8pm, when the nightclub opens to the public, guests may stay and continue enjoying the entertainment and visit the casino, and/or take advantage of the MTCVB-only overnight stay rate of  $79. For more details or to RSVP, click here.

Mexico Marketing: Casino Night in Ciudad Obregon
June 27-29, Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Partners are invited to exhibit at the MTCVB's Vamos a Tucson program's first Casino Night in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora Mexico. To register online, click here.  For more information, contact Martha Tadlock at 520-770-2171 or mtadlock@visitTucson.org.

Use It
 
Discover Voluntourism
Interest in volunteer vacations, better known as voluntourism, is steadily increasing. The April 28 issue of AOT in Action, the weekly e-newsletter from the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT), includes a report from a recent Travelocity.com survey indicating 38 percent of more than 1,000 respondents were interested in taking a vacation where they can give back and make a difference during their stay. The Tucson and Southern Arizona region is a natural place for voluntourism. Information can be found on the Outdoor Adventure and Nature page at visitTucson.org.  

Chart Your Next Golf Outing
If you're planning your next golf outing, the MTCVB website is a smart place to begin. The Golf Comparison chart in the Golf section features a list of 29 public and private golf courses in Tucson and Southern Arizona. The chart lists general details, such as golf course size, age, and architect, and includes links to individual courses. The roster of golf-course architects includes some of the sport's top designers, including Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Lehman, John Fought, and Jack Nicklaus.   

See Tucson on the Big Screen
The Tucson Film Office maintains a Filmography list, dating back to 1925, of motion pictures filmed in and around Tucson. The list includes everything from "Arizona" and many others filmed at Old Tucson Studios, to "Revenge of the Nerds," filmed at Tucson High School, and "Spin," filmed largely in Downtown Tucson.  For those who like to see their city on the big screen, the list is a good reference when visiting the video store.

Reach Spanish-Speaking Travelers  
Spanish-speaking travelers can find a wealth of Tucson travel information at the MTCVB website. The Visitante de Mexico section is a round-the-clock resource that includes general information on area shopping opportunities, medical facilities, family activities, hotels and resorts, restaurants, transportation companies, and more, including helpful links to other local websites. 

Save Money at Area Attractions 
Travelers in Tucson and Southern Arizona can purchase a Tucson Attractions Passport at any of Tucson's 18 Catalina Mart convenience stores. The 2007-08 Tucson Attractions Passport sells for $15 and contains 56 pages of deals and discounts at 47 Southern Arizona attractions, museums, parks, and shops. Included are "buy one, get one free" discounts for attractions such as Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, Kartchner Caverns, Reid Park Zoo, and more. For details or to purchase a passport online, click here.  

I-10 Widening Alert
Work is currently in progress on widening I-10 from Prince Road to 29th Street. The three-year project is scheduled for summer 2007 through spring 2010. For details and updates call the information hotline at 520-327-6444, 1-877-961-1010, or click here.

4th Avenue Underpass Update
Traffic alerts related to construction, detours, and closures during the 4th Avenue Underpass construction project in downtown Tucson are issued periodically and are available online. To find out more, click here.

Annual Report/Marketing Plan 

New Partners & Partner Anniversaries

Tucson Tour Ideas

Meeting Planners' Testimonials

Free Visitor Information

MTCVB Visitor Inquiries / March 2008
Information requests: 30,764 
Walk-in visitors:  7,445
Website unique visitors:  325,888 
 
Year-to-Date (July 2007-March 2008)
Information requests: 136,535
Walk-in visitors: 41,155
Website unique visitors:  2,318,610