PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
BizTOURISM
New 7-Day Streetcar Pass An unlimited-ride seven-day pass will be will be introduced by the Sun Link modern streetcar for people attending the 2015 Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase, said Jeremy Papuga, transit services director for the City of Tucson. There are four gem shows on or very near Tucson’s streetcar stops – most of which are hubs for the Gem Ride shuttle as well. There also are three major hotels and nine bed and breakfasts along the streetcar routes, as well as numerous restaurants, bars and shops, Papuga said. While the price is not yet set, the new seven-day pass will cost between $12 and $15. Papuga said this new option will improve convenience and introduce or further connect showcase attendees to the University of Arizona Main Gate, Mercado San Agustín and downtown. Until now streetcar riders could only purchase passes good per ride, for one day, 30 days, a semester or a year. He said the seven-day pass will be evaluated to determine whether it will be permanently available in the pass product line. Biz 98 BizTucson
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Winter 2015
continued from page 97 The 140+ page report from the 2014 event study is public record and available at www.visittucson.org/media/researchfacts/event-profiles. Trickle Down Resorts and hotels aren’t the only beneficiaries of the showcase. Attendees also book privately owned bed and breakfasts, rent condos or apartments, and stay with friends or family. Marion Hook, co-owner of Adobe Rose Inn, said “Over the last 10 years, we’ve been booked over 90 percent for the month of February. Half of that, of course, is the two weeks of gem show.” All six Adobe Rose Inn rooms have been booked during the showcase since she purchased the bed and breakfast in 2003, and she said her B&B compatriots enjoy similar occupancy. Her guests, like buyers John Connely, a collector and retired lapidary jewelry designer, and Paddie Harris, a gemologist, have been coming to the gem show for more than 20 years. Many book their rooms for the following year before leaving. Hook said there is definitely a “trickle down” effect of showcase attendee spending – especially in restaurants. “We only serve breakfast. So our guests have to eat out the other two meals of the day.” Showcase attendees also report spending significant money on transportation, equipment rental, entertainment, sightseeing, food and beverage. This means that gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, boutiques, malls, attractions – and the people permanently and temporarily employed by these businesses – see the benefit of this spending. Maurice Destouet, VP and GM of Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show and River Park Inn said, “We hire a huge number of additional staff people (during the showcase). In previous years I hired neighbors and friends who were unemployed at the time. It was nice to see the impact of the event in a direct manner and to see these people participate in the growth of the economy.” Claudette Myers, owner of Desert Bloom Boutique downtown, said she plans for customers who tend to return to her shop year after year during the showcase. “I buy everything months ahead of time, keeping in mind these customers who come back every year.” Her sales stay fairly even throughout the year, but
she feels that her showcase clientele – mostly buyers and gallery owners – “do create a bump in business for me.” In some cases, the shows contribute more directly to the community. The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show is the pioneer of the showcase. It began as a bit of a tailgate rock-hound swap meet in an elementary school parking lot in 1955. Today it is one of the two “main events” presented at the Tucson Convention Center. Chair Paul Harter said, “TGMS is a local show. It is promoted and put on by residents of Tucson and surrounding communities. All of the money from this show stays in Tucson and Southern Arizona. Throughout the year, the money supports local mineral museums, education programs and scholarships for geology-related programs of study.” After digesting all this, if the question of how the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase positively impacts the region still lingers – think taxes. In 2014 the showcase injected $10.7 million in sales, bed and rental car taxes into the community in just 2½ weeks. These taxes support Tucson and Pima County infrastructure – including, but not limited to, road maintenance, police, fire personnel and administration. Great Experience, Greater Returns Significant numbers of showcase attendees report extending their stays for personal travel in Tucson and throughout the state. Many also report returning to Tucson on non-business-related trips at other times of the year or have future plans to do so. These findings illustrate that the showcase provides benefits beyond Tucson and Pima County, and that the city provides experiences to business travelers that are so positive, they choose to return for leisure travel. The tourism industry likes to call these travelers “brand ambassadors” who share the ever-powerful word-of-mouth referrals to their favorite travel destinations. B&B owner Hook recalled that a longtime guest “referred the Poet Laureate of Louisiana to stay with us.” What brings showcase attendees back? Some say our weather. Others point to the scenery or the myriad available activities. All agree that it’s the Tucson experience. TGMS Chair Harter said, “The city of Tucson is a gracious host. People continued on page 100 >>> www.BizTucson.com