Arizona tourism officials brace for boycott

[UpInArms]

Source: USA Today

PHOENIX — Arizona's tourism officials are growing increasingly concerned at the prospect of huge hotel and convention dollar losses because of fallout from the state's new immigration law.

In Phoenix alone, David Krietor, a deputy city manager who is tracking the issue, said this week the city faces lost business worth about $90 million over the next five years.

<snip>

Since Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the controversial legislation last month, authorizing police with "reasonable suspicion" to demand citizenship proof from anyone they contact, Hispanic leaders, union officials and even a congressman have urged Americans to punish Arizona financially.

"We have an image and public relations problem of what might be unprecedented proportions," Krietor said.

Debbie Johnson, president of the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association, said a boycott might be disastrous for the state's more than 200,000 hospitality-industry workers. "We really don't need another hit," she added.

As of April 30, the lodging association had identified 19 conventions cancelled, worth an estimated 15,000 room nights, or $6 million.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-05-13-arizona-tourism-boycott_N.htm

[MrSlayer]

1. Make your bed.

Sleep in it.

[Bette Noir]

14. I think most of the people making the beds are Latinas.

[SocialistLez]

21. Isn't that the truth? NT

[DesertRat]

32. +1

[customerserviceguy]

37. The irony of a tourism boycott

is that the hotel and restaurant industries employ disproportionate numbers of illegal immigrants. Some muckety-muck in charge of Arizona properties for Holiday Inn might not get a bonus, but he's not going to get the pink slip, either.

[EFerrari]

2. The more pressure brought to bear, the sooner this will be over

for the people of Arizona.

[ixion]

3. The boycott will work

keep it up! :applause:

[secondwind]

4. unfortunately, we're going there in late June -- taking the munchkins to see the

Grand Canyon. Air tickets were purchased last year, hotel at Grand Canyon reserved months ago.....I wonder how we will feel when we go there......

[liquid diamond]

6. I've been there in June.

Dress appropriately. It's extremely hot at that time of year.

[Renew Deal]

27. Not so much at the Grand Canyon.

I drove from the GC to Phoenix in June a few years ago. The Grand Canyon was comfortable. It was at least 20 degrees warmer when we got to Phoenix AT NIGHT!

[lunasun]

7. you may feel the coolness of a cell block

if you don't bring your passports esp. if you are brown . But you can go there packin' a piece....as no permit is required to carry a concealed weapon , so you may feel safer.
That was another law she signed recently in AZ!
You may feel like you had a good time and are relieved really neither of those new laws involve you........yet!
Wild West Woo

[pipoman]

19. There is always the option of renting a car and going to

Yosemite in CA, wheel through and gander at the giant crevice on the way..just don't spend money on the hotel and food in AZ..

[Renew Deal]

26. I love Arizona and the Grand Canyon is amazing.

Your trip is booked. Don't let this law put a damper on your trip. It will be amazing (and maybe not too crowded). :hi:

[Scout]

29. spend as little money as possible, and try to spend what you HAVE to

directly in the park itself.

are you staying on the rim, or venturing down into the canyon?

if at all possible, you MUST get down into the canyon, if not on this trip then another. i did the mule trip for a 2 night stay at Phantom Ranch at the bottom, and it was the most wonderful, astonishing and marvelous trip i've ever taken. i would do it again in a heartbeat if i had the money and the reservation.

[DesertRat]

33. HOT

Late June is the hottest time of the year.

[struggle4progress]

5. If you sup with the devil, bring a long spoon

[SoapBox]

8. Boycott...Boycott...Boycott!

And here is that list of companies that are HQ'd or were HQ'd in Arizona.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arizona_companies

Tell your friends.

[Suji to Seoul]

16. Don't attack Eddie Basha or Basha';s Supermarkets

He's one of the good ones and actively worked to kill this law. Support Basha's Supermarkets!!!

[depakid]

9. Bad PR for comapnies to hold functions in the state

Fact is, it risks alienating the customer base.

[protocol rv]

23. Which customer base?

Maybe you haven't seen the polls? The majority of Americans are opposed to illegal immigration.

[depakid]

25. Progressives and Hispanics

the latter being the fastest growing demographic in America.

Not the brightest business decision to risk damaging one's brand- or creating morale problems within one's own company.

[Downwinder]

10. Cancel me out of my 50th HS reunion in PHX.

[Aristus]

11. This problem can be solved with the stroke of a pen.

Get busy Arizonans, or quit the fucking boo-hoo-hooing...

[fishwax]

36. exactly -- fortunately for Arizona, there is a very simple solution

[Tumbulu]

12. It was taking Janet Napolatano away

that put Brewer in charge and then there was no elected official to stop the nutjobs in the legislature.

I feel so sorry for the people who live there- especially my liberal friends.

[opihimoimoi]

13. Arizonas MACACA MOMENT

[newspeak]

39. actually it's their second "Macaca moment."

Don't forget MLK day.

[Robbien]

15. Highland Park High officials say canceling Ariz. trip 'not political'--it's just not safe

Talk shows and bloggers across the country jumped on the story Thursday, with Limbaugh telling listeners, "You have a bunch of childish, immature, liberal little adults running this school who care more about what people think of them and what they think of each other than they do about any kid anywhere."

District 113 administrators hunkered down, refusing to address the firestorm of debate -- except through e-mail statements about why they canceled the trip.

"We cannot commit at this time to playing at a venue where some of our students' safety or liberty might be placed at risk because of state immigration law," Superintendent George Fornero said in a letter to parents.

Board members also did not return calls and e-mails seeking their input on the burgeoning controversy that put the school under the national spotlight.

"Since undocumented students may be participating on any of our extracurricular teams, we need to ensure that all of our students can travel safely, especially in the United States," Suzan Hebson, the assistant superintendent, said Thursday in an e-mail to the Tribune.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/05/highland-park-high-officials-say-canceling-az-trip-not-political.html

[Hubert Flottz]

17. A message to the NeanderPubs in Arizona...

It's only money.

[City Lights]

18. ...

:nopity:

You reap what you sow, AZ.

:nopity:

[political_Dem]

20. Arizona officials shouldn't be upset by the outcry.

After all, some of the folks in Arizona voted in representatives who had ties with neo-nazi groups. They also favored legislation that would severely impact the civil liberties of people of color in their state. As a result, they saw nothing wrong with all of this. In fact, there were some in the state (and in the rest of the country) that vigorously and defiantly defended these laws and politicians.

A portion of folks and their representatives of the state parroted the buzz-words, memes and dog-whistles that shaped the views in acceptance of these policies.

This is what Arizona wanted, didn't they?

However, they just didn't expect the response from the outside world to the passage of these negative and rather prejudicial laws.

The officials and people of Arizona just have to learn that other folks won't sit down and take being treated as second class citizens any more.

This is a new day.

[protocol rv]

22. Well, if I were Arizona...

I would sit tight and let them cancel those conventions. There will be offseting bookings by people who are supportive of Arizona's laws. Thinking of this purely as a business issue, if Arizona uses this as a means to get a positive view from Americans who oppose illegal immigration, they could actually come out ahead. :-)

[frylock]

31. oh yeah, all those offseting [sic] bookings are pouring in..

been reading about them all month. :rollseyes:

[newspeak]

41. I was raised in Phoenix AZ as a child

I don't know about today, but at that time there was a large latino population and native american population. All were american citizens. My sil is latino heritage, I think Arizona's profiling law is a set up for those who are american citizens to be hassled--to be stopped without provocation just because they are brown. And, I bet the native american population has the same perception.

Illegal immigration was a 2004 platform for the repukes to gravitate attention from the wars they created. Because of the economy, there are fewer illegals that are coming here. Also, I believe federal funds have increased for border protection. So, I'd say that this is a major teabagger concern. Those people who don't look or talk like them being in this country.

[Tikki]

24. Your family can make it to California's...

unoiled beaches for Vacation without going through Arizona.

Tikki

[profile this]

28. We need organizers in Arizona

Arizona needs organizers to turn this state blue. There are many unregistered hispanics that are angry over this issue. Let's get them to vote.

[jillan]

34. There's alot going on here. If you have any time to volunteer, i can put you in touch with

the woman that is the head of Organizing for America in Az - she is NON stop.

[gratuitous]

30. How do you "brace" for a boycott?

Load more games on your computer to while away the hours not answering the phones or greeting tourists?

[customerserviceguy]

38. You lay off staff

especially at the lowest levels, such as jobs of maids, maintenance workers, cooks, dishwashers, and busboys. Those would be jobs more likely to be held by those whose right to work in the US is most questionable.

Frankly, if Arizonans wanted to chase the undocumented out of that state, a tourism boycott would help them do that enormously.

[fishwax]

35. "an image and public relations problem of what might be unprecedented proportions"

Indeed.

[LuckyLib]

40. Arizonans may start to figure out that their government is them. When you elect complete idiots,

you will pay the price. And this could prove to be a huge price.