{"id":11801,"date":"2019-07-25t14:10:28","date_gmt":"2019-07-25t14:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/tourism-tension-in-instagram-age-tax-revenue-vs-conservation\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28t18:46:11","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28t18:46:11","slug":"tourism-instagram-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/tourism-instagram-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"tourism tension in instagram age: tax revenue vs. conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"

by tim royan
\ncronkite news<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

phoenix \u2013 tourism continues to expand in arizona, a boon for jobs, development and tax revenue, but the growth presents challenges to preserving the natural beauty drawing visitors to the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cit just really appears that there is a problem as far as people management,\u201d said alicyn gitlin of the sierra club. \u201cbut it\u2019s a fine line because you want people to have access to this place that belongs to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

the tensions between economic driver and environmental impact are revealed in the numbers of dollars and people, both of which reach into the millions. tourists generate jobs and tax revenue, some of which is spent on advertising to lure even more tourists and build the roads and other infrastructure needed to accommodate them. selfie culture and social media increases such strains as littering and overuse on the most picturesque sites, and visitors forego the excitement of exploring the unfamiliar in favor of social media likes.<\/p>\n

in 2018, for the first time in arizona history, more than 45 million tourists generated more than $1 billion in state tax revenue, surpassing the record set the previous year by 8%, according to the arizona office of tourism. these visitors help support about 200,000 jobs and provide $7.4 billion in earnings for arizona workers.<\/p>\n

flagstaff is one of the primary destinations for visitors, enticing tourists with its craft<\/a> beer<\/a> scene<\/a>, connection<\/a> to lunar missions, route 66 nostalgia<\/a>, proximity to lowell observatory<\/a> and, above all, its status as a portal to arizona\u2019s natural splendors. the city\u2019s proximity to the grand canyon, the nation\u2019s largest ponderosa pine forest and the red rocks of sedona is a large part of why visitors from across the globe spend more than $500 million each year in flagstaff, according to a 2017-18 tourism study<\/a> from the arizona office of tourism.<\/p>\n

debbie johnson, director of the arizona office of tourism, said tourism spending in arizona reduces each resident\u2019s tax burden by more than $1,300 per year.<\/p>\n

\u201ctourism revenue is a big chunk of their government provided services,\u201d johnson said. to maintain their same level of service for residents \u201cin coconino county, it would be $3,000 more a household.\u201d<\/p>\n

in flagstaff, 5 million annual visitors provide 8,000 jobs, said meg roederer, spokeswoman for discover flagstaff, the city\u2019s tourism agency. and much of the money collected from the bed, board and beverage tax that tourists pay is spent developing infrastructure to help absorb the increased traffic.<\/p>\n

\u201cif you\u2019re dining in our restaurants, if you\u2019re staying in our hotels, you are going to be contributing to our economy,\u201d roederer said. \u201cour parks and recreation department gets a portion of it, public art \u2026 and arts and sciences education programming for students.\u201d<\/p>\n

some of the money also goes back into the city\u2019s visitor center, tour guides and media operation roederer said.<\/p>\n

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