Commentary: Why Arizona's boycott hurts innocent victims

Special to ABC15.com.

Whenever people talk sports, politics or religion, conversations rarely end in total agreement.

Likewise, we've seen that whenever steps are taken to address illegal immigration, many on either side of the issue are left dissatisfied.

One thing not in dispute: A boycott of our state's visitor/tourism industry over Arizona's new immigration law will do great harm to potentially thousands of innocent workers and their families.

Visitors account for more than $1 billion in annual state-tax revenue and about 200,000 jobs in Arizona. It's no wonder our tourism industry is being targeted.

But targeting our visitor industry is wrong. Arizona's tourism workers, who mirror the state's diverse makeup, have become "collateral damage" in the boycott proponents' principled but misguided effort to achieve what they regard as a greater good.

The challenge for those of us in the business of attracting visitors to Arizona is to let the world know that tourists are vital to our state's economic well-being and the financial stability of our industry's employees and their families.

A recent study of county records found that Phoenix hotel rentals accounted for $166 million in taxes in 2008 - $20 million of which went to help fund local schools. In other words, local and state budgets rely on visitor spending, which keeps everyone's taxes lower.

What's at stake? In its first year of operation, the new Phoenix Convention Center hosted 310,000 convention attendees (not counting their friends and family) who pumped more than $450 million in direct spending into our state's economy. And it is worth noting that many of the cities calling for boycotts of Arizona compete with Phoenix for these same conventions.

Even in the wake of a federal judge's court ruling staying portions of Arizona SB 1070, a damaging side effect of the debate is the false impression would be visitors are receiving that the vast majority of Arizonans are something other than welcoming, open-minded and culturally sensitive people.

The truth is that we understand that our proximity to Mexico not only puts us at the forefront of the immigration debate, but it has shaped, imbued and strengthened our social fabric.

Phoenix could not have become the fifth-largest city in the nation without welcoming newcomers and celebrating our diversity. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is rightfully communicating that message nationwide.

While the ultimate fate of SB 1070 may now be in the hands of the courts, American public opinion of Arizona continues to affect us all.

We expect visitors to Arizona to offer their views, even on immigration, whether it's over lunch at a convention, poolside at a local hotel, or chatting with passengers on Phoenix's light rail. What we should not expect is for them to stay home.