Olivia Ainsa, president of the NogalesSanta Cruz County Chamber of Commerce, briefed the city council on Nov. 5 about tourism and business-support activity, including new certification by the Arizona Department of Tourism and a planned promotional campaign.

Ainsa said the chamber was certified as an official Arizona Department of Tourism visitor center and will participate in a digital marketing campaign coordinated by the state and a private firm to highlight Southern Arizona destinations. The campaign has an overall cost above $10,000, she said; the chambers share will be $3,000, with the Department of Tourism covering remaining costs.

Ainsa and other council members also described a new business assistance initiative intended to streamline the process for new ventures. The chamber and city business office are working with an online platform (referred to in the meeting as "Lisela/Asela/Acela") where applicants can track permitting and inspections; the chamber said it provides welcome contacts and connection to local service providers and is moving to offer payment plans for membership to further broaden access.

The chamber reported a decline in international visitors tied to decreased cross-border travel and Canadian visitor patterns but said in-state and national visitors continue to arrive. Council members discussed coordinated economic development staffing being funded initially by South32 and the need for collaborative county-city-chamber planning around recruitment, infrastructure and tourism.