CITY NEWS
SCOTTSDALE BEGINS TRACKING INTERNATIONAL VISITOR NUMBERS,
ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 1.7 MILLION IN 2018
SCOTTSDALE REMAINS A TOURIST DESTINATION OF CHOICE – A FACT CONFIRMED IN A RECENTLYRELEASED TOURISM STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE CITY’S TOURISM AND EVENTS DEPARTMENT. According to the 2019 Scottsdale Tourism Study Visitor Statistics Report, the city saw an increase in visitors over the prior year, hosting about 200,000 more overnight and day trip visitors in 2018, totaling 9.1 million, compared to 8.9 million in 2017. This was also the first study to include international overnight visitors -- estimated to be about 1.7 million in 2018.
“It’s a very important group of travelers to consider. Data shows us international travelers typically stay longer based on where they traveled from and tend to spend more,” said Karen Churchard, Scottsdale’s tourism and events director. “We’ve now created a baseline in this report that will give us the resourc-
es to track those trends and have that valuable data available.”
In 2018, visitors spent an estimated $2.1 billion in Scottsdale, compared to $1.6 billion in 2017. Their direct spending created an annual economic impact of $3.1 billion in revenue to local businesses, an increase from $2.4 billion in 2017. In conjunction with the Visitor Statistics Report, Scottsdale studies lodging trends using bed tax collection figures, which are consistently tracked and readily available. The Scottsdale Tourism Study Lodging Report looks specifically at trends in bed tax collection, room inventory, average room rates, occupancy rates and other factors related to lodging trends. It includes tax receipt figures that reflect actual sales tax and bed tax collections during the previous month and data that’s based primarily on properties located within Scottsdale.
According to the 2019 report, Scottsdale’s bed tax revenue totaled $20,367,185 in 2018, up seven percent from 2017. In addition, bed tax generated more than $146 million in revenue for the city and annual occupancy was 70 percent, a 1.7 percent increase from 2017. The Scottsdale Tourism Study draws from multiple traveling reporting agencies that track and benchmark tourism data to track economic and social impact.
Longwoods International, a leader in tourism market research, conducted a survey of 450 visitors. Travelers were asked about their experience in Scottsdale and the results were all very positive. More than 90 percent of visitors were satisfied with their trip to Scottsdale, 83 percent planned to visit again, and 95 percent stated they would recommend Scottsdale to someone else.
On the topic of safety, 97 percent responded that they felt extremely, very or pretty safe. Downtown Scottsdale was the top attraction with 61 percent visitation. Top 10 activities for Scottsdale visitors in 2018: 1. Shopping 2. Upscale dining 3. Night Clubs 4. Visiting historic sites and landmarks 5. Swimming 6. Visiting state parks 7. Museums 8. Casinos 9. Hiking 10. Golf
For activities and experiences, the No. 1 category was shopping at 40 percent, compared to the U.S. average of 30 percent. For more information on Scottdale’s Tourism and Events, visit ScottsdaleAZ.gov and search “tourism.”
OEB BREAKFAST OPENS FIRST U.S. LOCATION IN SCOTTSDALE OEB BREAKFAST CO. OPENED ITS FIRST U.S. LOCATION IN SCOTTSDALE THIS NOVEMBER. The breakfast concept is the creation of celebrated Italian-Canadian Chef Mauro Martina. The dishes at OEB are a creative and upscale spin on tried and true classics, bringing forth the artistry and passion that Chef Martina brings to the table. While this is the first in the States, the concept has found award-winning success in Canada with multiple locations.
“Breakfast means so much more to me than just the first meal of the day,” said Martina, owner and founder of OEB. “It’s about elevating the whole breakfast experience. That’s what OEB is all about.”
The 2,900-square-foot restaurant opened on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Chauncey Lane at 103-17757 N. Scottsdale Road. The space seats 84 inside with 18 seats on the patio. The interior includes an open kitchen concept and full service bar that will serve hand-crafted cocktails, local beer and Frizzante on tap. Venetian plaster walls line one side of the restaurant interior with wood beams throughout and a Terrazzo bar as a focal piece. The ambiance inside is contemporary and clean with colors of light blue and yellow adorning the walls. Classically trained, Martina has cultivated a culture that prioritizes connection and genuine food integrity while supporting local vendors and farmers that care about quality, detail and ethics. Martina spent his childhood in Italy, where he was exposed to fresh, rich ingredients at local markets on a daily basis. This helped feed his passion for good, honest food. With his culinary foundation built in Europe, Martina moved to Canada in 1992.
4 • December 2019 • THE SCOTTSDALE STANDARD
It was there that he embarked on his career as an executive chef when he was just 21 years-old. Throughout his career, he has worked at Michelin Star restaurants alongside some of the best chefs in the industry. Martina quickly climbed the ranks in Canada, and in 2009 he opened his first OEB location. The chef believes in exceptional products and ingredients sourced straight from farmers. “We care about where the food comes from and what happens to it before it hits the table,” said Martina.
The eclectic menu at OEB takes guests on a culinary experience. Guests can sink their teeth into items like the Holy Crab Eggs Benny made wild blue crab, fresh dill, Dijon mustard on a butter croissant served with duck fat fried herb potatoes. Or the Nutella® French Toast served on Brioche with hazelnut gianduja, torched marshmallows and cocoa. The ingredients chosen for each dish sum up Martina’s and OEB’s mission – to democratize fine cuisine by elevating the breakfast experience. For more information visit www.eatoeb.com or like them on Facebook at @oebbreakfastco or on Instagram at @oeb_breakfast. thescottsdalestandard.com
