Tucson travel rebounding

LOCAL ECONOMY -- ONE THAT WASHURT WHEN THE PANDEMIC SLOWEDDOWN TRAVEL.

BUT AS 9 ON YOURSIDE'S CRAIG SMITH REPORTS --THE INDUSTRY IS ON THE REBOUND-- AND AN INFLUENTIAL TRAVELMAGAZINE MAY HELP EVEN MORE.14:16 COVID PRECAUTIONS DID NOTSUPPRESS OUR LOCAL TRAVELINDUSTRY AS MUCH AS YOU MIGHTTHINK.

IT HAS BEEN ON A STRONGREBOUND THAT'S GETTINGSTRONGER.

14:26 RUNS: 10TUCSON'S TRAVEL INDUSTRY WOKEUP THIS MORNING TO A POWERFULBOOST.

THE MAGAZINE CONDE NASTTRAVELLER PUT TUCSON ON ITSANNUAL HOTLIST OF BEST PLACESTO VISIT----RIGHT NEXT TOGLITTERING INTERNATIONALLOCATIONS LIKE DUBAI.

IT'S DANGIBSON'S JOB AT VISIT TUCSONTO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO VISITTUCSON--- SO IT'S A REAL GIFTTO HIT THAT MAGAZINE HOTLIST.:25 "IT JUST OPENS YOU UP TO AGROUP OF PEOPLE THAT MAY NOTHAVE THOUGHT ABOUT TUCSONBEFORE.

WHEN, THERE'S ANINFINITE NUMBER OF PLACES TOTRAVEL AND HAVING THOSEMENTIONS, THEY START TO ADD UPRIGHT AS YOU.

IT FEELS LIKEEVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUTTUCSON AND THEN BECOMESIMPOSSIBLE TO NOT COMEHERE.":45 RUNS:20 BUT TUCSONTOURISM HAS BEEN REBOUNDINGEVEN WITHOUT THE MAGAZINE'SHELP.

VISITORS COOPED UP BYCOVID, HUNGRY FOR SOMETHINGREALLY DIFFERENT CAN FIND ITHERE, IN AWARD WINNINGRESTAURANTS SO UNIQUE THEUNITED NATIONS RECOGNIZED THEFOOD HERE AS A CULTURALTREASURE AND IN NATURAL BEAUTYLIKE NOTHING THEY'LL SEE BACKHOME.

WHEN DONNA WILKERSONCAME TO VISIT FAMILY HERE SHEWAS STRUCK BY HOW IT'S SODIFFERENT FROM HER HOME INNORTH CAROLINA.

15:50 "BECAUSEWE LIVE ON THE COAST AND WEHAVE DIFFERENT FLOWERS LIKETHIS, RIGHT HERE.

WE DON'THAVE.

I'VE NEVER SEEN THISUNTIL NOW.

SO, FOR ME, IFSOMEBODY WAS COMING FROM THEEAST COAST, I WOULD SAY THEBEAUTY OF ARIZONA.

AND PEOPLETHINK WHEN THEY THINK OFARIZONA, THAT IT'S JUSTDESERT, BUT IT'S NOT." 16:10RUNS:20 AT HOTEL MCCOY THEYSTARTED TO SEE MORE GUESTS INFEBRUARY.

WITH MOREVACCINATIONS AND MORE PEOPLEEAGER TO GET OUT AND ABOUTTHEIR GUEST COUNT HAS BEENRISING EVERY MONTH SINCE.AMANDA ROCHELLE SAYS THE FIRSTVISITORS TO ARRIVE WERE ABLETO DRIVE TO TUCSON FROM PLACESLIKE CALIFORNIA OR TEXAS.

4:07"I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY A LOTOF THOSE FOLKS, ESPECIALLYEARLIER ON, WOULD BE PEOPLEWHO MIGHT NATURALLY JUST BEMORE OUTDOORSY PEOPLE, THEY DOA LOT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW,HIKING, THINGS LIKE THAT, ALOT OF THAT CROWD SINCE THEYWANT TO DO LIVE EVENTS ANDTHINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE, WHICHAUTOMATICALLY FEELS SAFER JUSTBECAUSE LESS CONFINED SPACES,YOU KNOW?

4:28 RUNS: 21 TRAVELEXPERTS SAY THE REBOUND ISSTILL MOSTLY IN LEISURETRAVEL--- THAT TUCSON HASSTILL NOT SEEN A RETURN OF BIGBUSINESS EVENTS THAT BOOST THEBIG RESORTS.

TUCSON'S HOTSUMMERS NORMALLY COOL DOWN THETRAVEL BUSINESS BUT DAN GIBSONOF VISIT TUCSON THINKS PEOPLEEAGER TO TRAVEL AGAIN MAY MAKEFOR A BUSIER SUMMER EVEN IFIT'S PHOENIX RESIDENTS ORMEXICANS JUST COMING FOR AWEEKEND.

HE THINKS THE REALIMPACT OF THE CONDE NASTARTICLE TALKING UP TUCSONCOULD COME IN THE FALL.

CRAIGSMITH, KGUN9 ON YOUR SIDE.THE TRAVEL ARTICLE -- MADE USWONDER IF AIR TRAVEL HASPICKED UP AT THE TUCSONAIRPORT.

IN A STATEMENT -- THEAIRPORT SAID THAT ALLDESTINATIONS WERE RESTARTEDFOR THE WINTER TOURISM SEASON-- EXCEPT FOR SOUTHERNCALIFORNIA.

BUT -- FLIGHTS TOTHOSE DESTINATIONS -- WILLRETURN IN JUNE.

THE AIRPORT --IS ALSO ADDING NEW FLIGHTS.FOR EXAMPLE -- DELTA ISJOINING ALASKA AIRLINES -- TOOFFER SERVICE TO AND FROMSEATTLE THIS SUMMER.

THERE ARECURRENTLY 18 NONSTOPDESTINATIONS -- OFFERED AT THETUCSON AIRPORT.THE LATEST JOB REPORT FROM THE