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Arizona could still win London Cardinals' game
Arizona marketing itself to fans and people in London during football game
Copyright Getty Images
PHOENIX - Despite the Cardinals 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London, Arizona could still walk away with a win.
Staff from the Arizona Office of Tourism set up events and exhibits in and out of the stadium to talk with fans, offer free 'green screen' photos with landmarks -- like the Grand Canyon -- and virtual reality bike rides in Sedona.
Director Debbie Johnson told ABC15 it was a unique opportunity to interact one-on-one with potential visitors, adding her staff also met with travel writers and planners to increase awareness of the state.
Last year, Arizona tourists spent more than $21 billion. The U.K. is the state's second-biggest overseas travel market with over 124,000 visitors in 2016. On average, those travelers had a household income of over $100,000 a year and stayed for more than a week.
Next year British Airways is planning to increase the number of non-stop flights between London's Heathrow Airport and Sky Harbor.
"Anytime you can bring a visitor directly into your destination, your entire state benefits," Johnson said.
