Arizona Office of Tourism
THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
OVERVIEW
Boasting the Grand Canyon, Saguaro, and Petrified Forest National parks and unique arboretums, landscapes, and cultural histories, it’s no surprise that the state of Arizona saw more than 40 million overnight visitor trips in 2021, continuing a years-long trend. With high visitation by both domestic and international travelers, Arizona takes its visitor economy very seriously, with the state’s tourism industry considered a key economic driver. Like other western states with high-profile national parks, Arizona was experiencing substantial over-tourism in parts of the state, while other destinations had unused capacity.
When acute challenges arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic—increased overuse of outdoor attractions, workforce shortages, and reduced business travel—brought significant challenges in 2020, Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) hired Coraggio to create a Statewide Destination Recovery Plan, as a guide to direct immediate action to support the visitor economy. With that plan in motion, AOT asked Coraggio in 2021 to help them go deeper and wider in their visioning to create a Three-Year Strategic Plan with an eye toward longer-term destination management and stewardship.
OUTCOMES
The Three-Year Strategic Plan is AOT’s North Star, their goals for Arizona as a destination visible even when unexpected changes on the ground occur, changes like public health emergencies, economic downturns, and other unknowns. It helps them focus on balancing state-wide visitation across time, place, and traveler type, with a strong commitment to stewardship as a backdrop for not only advancing a thriving statewide tourism economy, but at the same time enhancing quality of life for all Arizonans, respecting the state’s rich culture and heritage, and protecting Arizona’s environment and natural resources.
APPROACH
AOT understood that for any plan to be successful, partners would need to be engaged and energized throughout the state. Coraggio’s robust stakeholder outreach ensured that hundreds of voices, from community and industry partners to residents, were heard throughout the planning process. Grounded in data from document reviews, research, and Coraggio’s expertise, these inputs from one-on-one interviews and statewide surveys guided both plans, informing the actionable solutions to organizational change management, resourcing, relationship-building, and strategic focus. AOT created industry stakeholder advisory panels and internal implementation teams to ensure ongoing forward motion on the plans, reporting wins and spotlighting challenges that could be used as a basis to make course corrections as necessary.
“Without hesitation, I recommend Coraggio to any destination leader who seeks a true partner in creating a plan for the future while at the same time further strengthening their internal team’s ability to lead the way.”
— Debbie Johnson, former Director, Arizona Office of Tourism