Out and about: Memorial Day weekend boosts travel
In nearly every measure of Arizona’s tourism industry, the statistics year over year for March and April 2020 were devastating. But, after weeks of sharp declines due to travel restrictions around the new coronavirus pandemic, Arizona tourism saw a glimmer of positivity over Memorial Day weekend.
According to Arrivalist, the company the Arizona Office of Tourism uses to monitor travel statistics, travel to and within Arizona increased by 26% on Memorial Day weekend compared the weekend prior.
And who drove that increase? Arizonans who were ready to get out of the house but not yet ready to venture too far from home.
Who traveled on Memorial Day weekend?
A cellphone analysis by USA Today and statistics provided to the Arizona Office of Tourism show the same thing: It was Arizonans hitting the road.
AOT statistics show that Arizonans accounted for 74% of travel in the state last weekend.
Though some resorts reported an increase in visitors from California trying to escape that state’s more severe coronavirus restrictions, Californians didn’t account for a significant part of tourist traffic here. Visitors from the Golden State came in a distant second at 14%.
Top Arizona destinations over Memorial Day
A USA Today analysis of cellphone data found 400 ZIP codes in the United States where foot traffic at businesses doubled over the Memorial Day holiday from the week before. Two places in Arizona made that list: the Grand Canyon and the town of Jerome.
It’s not surprising that after months of being closed, the Grand Canyon would make that list even for its partial reopening. Visitors were allowed in for day use only and had to leave at dusk. What is surprising is that the cellphone data showed that 70% of those visitors came from Arizona.
The top counties represented at Grand Canyon last weekend: Coconino (35%) Maricopa (14%)
Mohave (9%).
Jerome showed an even bigger percentage of in-state visitors. The cellphone data showed that 90% of the visitors to the town last weekend were Arizona residents looking for an easy day trip to sample the shops, galleries and bars. Here are the counties its visitors were from:
Maricopa (44%)
Yavapai (26%)
Pinal (10%).