Tourism Benefits Tempe
How Does Tourism Benefit the City of Tempe?
There’s no denying that Tempe is a great place to live. But, it’s also a great destination for the visitors who come here for business or pleasure, to attend meetings and conferences, or participate in one of our events like the Ironman Arizona or Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon.
As someone who lives here, you might be interested in knowing more about how visitors to Tempe make a considerable contribution to our economy. Tourism expenditures helps sustain the lovely quality of life enjoyed by those who live here.
Our office is always happy to share the economic impact data with Tempe residents, businesses, professional organizations and service clubs. Our staff and board members can conduct meetings with these groups and give a short presentation. Please let us know if you have any groups or organizations that would be interested and we will reach out to them. Contact Michael Martin at 480-894-8158 or [email protected].
How Tourism Impacts Tempe
According to the 2023 Tourism Economics Impact Study, approximately 4.4 million travelers spend $1.4 billion in Tempe.
- $273 million on food and beverage
- $224 million on local transportation
- $271 million on lodging
- $187 million on retail shopping
- $131 million on recreation
Tourism contributes more than $116.7 million in local and state taxes which:
- Saves the average Tempe household $1,505
- Supports essential services such as police and fire
- Adds to the Quality of life by providing funds for parks, sports, transportation and arts programs
- Total direct and indirect tourism related jobs total 8,696 and represent 1 in 16 jobs in Tempe
Who We Are
The Tempe Tourism Office is a non-profit organization funded through the City of Tempe hotel bed tax. The Tempe Tourism Office generates revenue through tourism by promoting Tempe as a visitor destination.
The Tempe Tourism Office:
- Was formed in 1988 to promote the City of Tempe as a tourism destination
- Is funded through the City of Tempe Bed Tax
- Operates with a staff of 13
- Has a Board of Directors made up of 25 community partners
What We Do to Bring Visitors to Tempe
We reach our target markets through marketing, communications, group and sports marketing. View our Annual Report and Marketing Plan to obtain more details about our goals, objective, tactics and results.
Marketing
- Digital and print advertising
- E-newsletter sponsorships
- Co-branding opportunities
- Our target markets
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Bay area
- Seattle
- Denver
- Western Canada
- Northern Mexico
Communications
- Social media
- Media pitches to travel writers and local media
- Recruit social influencers/bloggers
- Distribution of e-newsletters
- Creation of blog posts, photography and video
- Develop content about Tempe’s interesting sights, events and people
- Tempe Visitor’s Guide
Group & Sports Marketing
- Tradeshows
- Sales missions
- Social Media
- Partnerships and advertising
- Key targets:
- Sports
- Associations
- Corporate groups
- Generation of:
- Leads for meetings and conferences
- Sports events for Tempe
- Connections for our hotels
Other Resources
Arizona Office of Tourism Economic Impact Studies
We invite you explore our website and stop by our Visitor Center, located at 140 S. Ash Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281.
Our hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. We are closed on major holidays.
