MAY-JUNE 2009

Welcome to TourISm Tucson (pronounced "Tourism Is Tucson"), your quarterly e-newsletter from the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau (MTCVB). 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. 

Join our Salute to National Travel & Tourism Week, May 9-17   
As an MTCVB partner, you're making a valuable contribution to one of metropolitan Tucson's largest industries. Travel and tourism employs more than 40,000 people, and contributes $2.3 billion annually to our economy. This month, the power of travel will be recognized during National Travel and Tourism Week, May 9-17. We invite you to join our regional salute to all our partners in the Tucson-Southern Arizona tourism and hospitality industry.   

In recognition of National Travel and Tourism Week, we'll launch an e-mail campaign promoting our strongest travel-planning resource: the Visit Tucson website. Keep an eye out for a series of 10 daily e-mails containing tips, linked to visitTucson.org, for increasing local tourism. These e-mails will feature applications for both personal and professional situations, such as send an e-postcard to a snow-bound relative, or forward our golf i-brochure to a stressed-out client. The first e-mail will include a snappy poster that can be downloaded and displayed at your workplace.

Our campaign is designed to help you become more familiar with, and likely prosper from, the treasure trove of free, destination information available at visitTucson.org. If you would like to become more involved with the MTCVB's activities or programs, please contact Vicki Doyle, MTCVB VP of Partner Development and Visitor Services, at vdoyle@visitTucson.org or 770-2133.  

USE IT!        
Campaign Requests Restaurant, Attraction Deals 
Our summer advertising campaign goes live May 1.The Tucson Will Surprise You campaign will showcase remarkable deals and discounts available at accommodations, restaurants, and attractions in Tucson-Southern Arizona. This is your chance to promote your summer deals, discount, packages and special events to leisure travelers throughout the city, state, and region. All you have to do is send complete information to Adam Dick, Marketing Projects Coordinator, at adamdick@visitTucson.org. To reach Adam by phone, call 770-2173.

You can double your marketing efforts by also participating in the Arizona Office of Tourism's (AOT) summer campaign. If you want your travel deals and packages promoted free of charge on the AOT website, upload the details to the Travel Deals section of www.azot.gov. For more information, contact Marjorie Magnusson at 602-364-3695 or mmagnusson@azot.gov.

New Denver, NYC Flights at TIA
Tucson International Airport (TIA) has added service to both New York City and Denver. Southwest Airlines will begin daily non-stop service between Tucson and Denver on Sunday, May 10. This means travelers from Denver to Tucson now can enjoy non-stop service on Southwest, Frontier, and United. Travelers also will be able to fly Southwest Airlines from Tucson to Chicago to New York City when the airline's new service to New York City/La Guardia begins Sunday, June 28. For more details, check out the new interactive air service map available on the TIA website. The scalable map includes all the non-stop destinations from Tucson, and shows all other domestic and many international destinations.

PR Team Calls For Tourism News
The MTCVB Public Relations and Communications department reminds you to keep us informed of news and happenings at your business. We will consider your information for either the News Releases section on the Media page at VisitTucson.org, the Major Events calendar, or various e-newsletters and travel blogs we produce. Send news releases, updates, story ideas, and/or fact sheets about product developments, property renovations, expanded visitor services, public events, and more to Kimberly Schmitz, MTCVB PR Director, at kschmitz@visitTucson.org. 

Calendar Needs Summer Events  
Promote your summer open-to-the-public events on our Community Events page at VisitTucson.org. You can load your own events after setting up a private account through TucsonStyle.com. Just click on Add Your Event on the MTCVB Community Events homepage and follow the directions to set up a password. You'll receive an e-mail when your account is approved.

Destination Guide Goes Digital 
The Free Visitor Information page is one of  the most popular sections on the VisitTucson website. Among the resources is the beautiful and informative Tucson Official Destination Guide, which is now available in both print and digital versions. The next time a friend or associate asks about our fair city, you can share our instant visitor guide.

Think Local: Embrace Tourism & Win
Do you travel for conferences, association meetings or other group  events? Do you know of any groups that could meet here? Find out how you can help boost our local economy ... and maybe earn a perk for yourself too! Learn more at our Embrace Tourism website. If you have questions about the program or want to brainstorm about its possibilities, contact Judy Wood, MTCVB Partner Sales & Hospitality Education Manager, at jwood@visitTucson.org or 770-2148. 

Vote to Help Build the Arizona Trail
The Arizona Trail is one of five national finalists vying for a $50,000 grant that would be used to build a difficult, five-mile segment of the trail within Saguaro National Park East. The grant winner will be featured in a national advertising campaign appearing in leading outdoor magazines in late 2009. Please take a moment to register at the Redwood Creek Greater Outdoors Project website, vote online, AND text 39668 vote code "trail". For instruction on voting via text message, using your cell phone, click here. You can vote once a day, now through May 31. For more information, visit the Arizona Trail Association website.

WORK IT!   
First Tuesday: Downtown Tucson Partnership 
Tuesday, May 5 from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arizona Inn (Tucson Room). Speaker Glenn Lyons, Downtown Tucson Partnership, provides update on downtown projects. Sponsored by Maynard's Market & Kitchen. For details, or to RSVP, click here.

MTCVB Partner Orientation & Refresher Meeting
Wednesday, May 13 from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. (8:15 a.m. check in) at MTCVB Administrative Office. New partners and established partners are invited to learn specific tips and ideas for making the most of your partnership with the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau (MTCVB). Free. To RSVP, click here.

Meet and See at VinTabla Grill
Thursday, May 14, 5-7 p.m. at VinTabla Grill. Join your fellow MTCVB partners and Tucson CTAs and enjoy complimentary light appetizers and finger food, exquisite ambiance, and key networking opportunities. Cash bar (Happy Hour until 6 p.m.). For more details or to RSVP, click here.

Call for Governor's Tourism Award Nominations
Friday, June 5 is the deadline to submit nominations for the Governor's Tourism Awards, presented at the Arizona Office of Tourism Governor's Conference on Tourism, July 8-10 in Scottsdale. The Governor's Tourism Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions accomplished by the Arizona tourism industry. To nominate an individual or organization, visit www.azot.gov or contact Kiva Couchon at 602-364-3724 or kcouchon@azot.gov. 

First Tuesday Luncheon: Update on El Tour de Tucson 
Tuesday, June 6 from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arizona Inn (Tucson Room). Featuring a discussion of El Tour's positive impact on Tucson and the results of a new study illustrating how cycling and Tucson are a perfect match. Speaker: Richard DeBernardis, President and founder of Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc., El Tour's parent company. Sponsored by The DesertLeaf. To RSVP, click here.

Annual Partner Gathering at Lodge on the Desert 
Wednesday, June 17 from 5-7 p.m. at the newly remodeled and expanded Lodge on the Desert. Join your Tucson tourism colleagues to celebrate tourism in Tucson-Southern Arizona. Honor an outstanding Certified Tourism Ambassador and a superior Corporate Supporter of the MTCVB Tucson Ambassadors Program. Enjoy entertainment by the Charles King Guitar Trio and house specialty appetizers. RSVP by June 12. Click here for more information. 

2009 Governor's Conference on Tourism
July 8-10 at The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale. The Arizona Office of Tourism, the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association, the Arizona Restaurant Association, and the Arizona Tourism Alliance organize this annual educational and networking conference--an opportunity to learn everything from the latest in social media and marketing tactics to ensuring cultural authenticity and learning up-to-date research statistics. For details, visit the Arizona Governor's Conference on Tourism website.

KNOW IT!  
Tucson Edition of ShowUp.com Launched
The MTCVB partnered with the Alliance for Audience and Tucson Pima Arts Council to launch the Metropolitan Tucson edition of ShowUp.com on Monday, April 20. ShowUp.com is a comprehensive online calendar and ticket service for regional arts and cultural offerings and events. The Metropolitan Tucson edition will simplify and enhance the process of learning about and accessing theater, music, dance, art, festivals, and cultural attractions in the Tucson-Southern Arizona region. More information is available on the Arts and Attractions page at the Visit Tucson website and at the ShowUp.com website.

Contest Offers Denver-Tucson Getaway 
An MTCVB promotional campaign aims to fill seats on Southwest Airline's new Tucson-Denver direct flight. Passengers on the inaugural May 10 flight will receive Visit Tucson logo bags containing a Tucson Official Destination Guide and a Tucson Attractions Passport. Radio spots and print messages targeting Denver travelers will drive traffic to the campaign website at which potential visitors can register to win a grand-prize Tucson roundtrip getaway. The grand prize has been made possible through donations of both airfare by Southwest Airlines and accommodations by Tucson Hilton El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort. For details about the Tucson-Denver flight, visit the Tucson International Airport website or AirTucson.com.

Art Structures Show the Way
The MTCVB and Tucson Pima Arts Council have collaborated on a project to help visitors quickly locate meetings and events happening in the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) vicinity. New directional art structures will soon be seen at various sites within a one-mile radius of the TCC plaza. The 14-feet tall, steel structures feature a friendly Gila monster design, solar-powered lighting, and a three-foot, horizontal slot for displaying a promotional banner. Local artist Alex Heveri's design provides useful information, a photo opportunity, and an identifiable meeting place for groups using the TCC plaza. 

MTCVB Wins District ADDY Award
An MTCVB promotion that won a Gold ADDY award at the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Tucson awards event in February received a Bronze ADDY award at the district competition in April. The MTCVB in-house Marketing team created the "MTCVB 5 Senses Promotional Gifts" direct-marketing project to acknowledge 125 top meeting-planner customers from across the United States. The district competition included entrants from seven advertising federation clubs throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and El Paso, TX.

New i-Brochure on Heritage & Culture
To view our new i-brochure on heritage and culture in the Tucson-Southern Arizona region, click here. Enjoy a fascinating journey through Tucson-Southern Arizona's diverse history. Share it with a friend.

ADOT I-10 Traffic Alert
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) posts news about the Prince Road to 29th Street I-10 widening project in Tucson at the project website. For the latest news, click here or call the I-10 project hotline at 327-6444.

MTCVB Visitor Inquiries/March 2009
Information requests: 15,634
Walk-in visitors: 7,556
Website unique visitors: 266,438
Year to Date/July 2008-March 2009
Information requests: 100,513
Walk-in visitors: 38,095
Website unique visitors: 2,216,677

LINKS TO MTCVB RESOURCES
Follow the links below for information from a variety of MTCVB resources: 
New Partners / Partner Anniversaries
Tucson On Us, Master Account Credit Offer
Create and Send an e-Postcard
Attractions & The Arts