Resorts in Phoenix offering deals to deal with a challenging tourism season as COVID-19 pandemic continues

Valley resorts looking at other ways to bring back tourists

Fewer guests are visiting the state as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

PHOENIX - Job markets across the country are reeling from the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and in Arizona, the state’s resort industry is gearing up for what may be a challenging season.

The state’s leisure and hospitality industry accounts for more than half the jobs lost in the state during the pandemic, So the losses have been staggering.

Resorts shifting focus to gear up for new tourism season

For the Phoenician Resort in Phoenix, they focus this season will be closer to home.

“Some of our key markets typically in the fall are New York and Chicago. Hopefully, we’ll see those people travel a little bit more as we go into the fall, but right now, our focus is the local and regional markets,” said Denise Seomin with the Phoenician.

Seomin says that means the summer deals for Arizona residents will continue into the fall. Fall leisure rates, which will start on September 8, offer at least 30% discounts at the Phoenician and its nearby boutique Five-diamond hotel, Canyon Suites.

So far, it appears to be working.

“With our Labor Day weekend, we hit our capacity we had set not only for the resort as a whole, but in our restaurants, based on the model we had for occupancy while maintaining the correct social distancing,” said Seomin.

Seomin says more guests means more staff is needed, and they have started calling employees back to work. It is a trend they expect will continue.