Flagstaff tourism officials report international visitor drop and shift marketing toward drive market; airport pursuing service growth

Discover Flagstaff tourism staff reported at a commission meeting that international visitation to Flagstaff is down about 15 percent compared with the same period last year, while domestic visitation remains relatively steady. Commission members and staff said they are shifting marketing to target the “drive market” — visitors within roughly an eight‑hour drive — to try to replace the lost international travelers.

The decline is larger in some source countries: staff said Canada was down about 35 percent and Europe about 17 percent, while international visitors constitute roughly 15 percent of Flagstaff’s total visitation in the period discussed. Staff also reported a small year‑to‑date decline in hotel sales; one food‑and‑beverage operator on the call said sales were down about 5 percent year‑to‑date.

Why it matters: Tourism is a major revenue…