Tourism, Travel & Traffic Counts

NATIONAL & STATE PARK VISITOR COUNTS

• In the first half of 2022, visits to state and national parks located in Cochise County mostly continued the rebound that began in 2021 (following steep COVID-related declines the year prior in 2020).
• The only exception to the continued strong performance was Fort Bowie National Historic Site. For the first 6 months of 2022, visits to Fort Bowie were down 11.7% from the first half of 2021. In 2021, however, annual visitors increased 43.7% (following a decline of 14.8% in 2020).
• Visits to Coronado National Memorial were up 3.6% in the first 6 months of 2022, compared to the same period of 2021. Coronado National Memorial was the only exception to the COVID-related drop in 2020 and rebound of 2021, with an overall increase in annual visitors of 19.9% in 2020, followed by a decline of 16.9% in 2021.
• Kartchner Caverns State Park (typically the most visited park in Cochise County) saw visits up 87.8% in the first 6 months of 2022, compared to the first half of 2021. Kartchner Caverns saw annual visits increase 26.5% in 2021, after falling 53.3% in 2020.
• Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park saw visits increase 31.8% for January-June 2022, compared to the same period of 2021. Tombstone Courthouse saw annual visitor counts grow by 43.9% in 2021, after falling 45.8% in 2020.
• Chiricahua National Monument visits were up 15.7% for the first half of 2022. Chiricahua annual visits were up by 19.2% in 2021 (after a 26.1% drop in 2020).

IMPACT OF TOURISM & TRAVEL

• According to research by Dean Runyan Associates for Arizona Office of Tourism, Cochise County's travel industry (including business and leisure travel) generated $337.8 million in direct spending countywide in 2021, up 63.4% following a 40.2% COVID-related drop in 2020. Travel-related direct spending in 2021 was at levels seen in 2018 and 2019, prior to the pandemic. Cochise County's travel industry supported 3,200 jobs countywide in 2021 (up 5.9% following a 13.6% decline the year prior) with household earnings of $89.6 million (up 9.6% after falling 8.6% in 2020), according to the study.

• In 2021, the busiest stretch of highway in Cochise County was Interstate 10 between Mescal Rd and Skyline Rd, with an average annual daily traffic count (AADT) of 33,122 (up 17.9% following a 9.7% decline in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic). By 2040, daily traffic in both directions on this stretch of I-10 is projected to reach 54,610 (an increase of 21,488 vehicles or 64.9%).
• Off the interstate, the busiest stretch of highway was State Route 92 in Sierra Vista, from Fry Blvd to East Foothills Dr, with an average of 26,562 vehicles daily (up 13% following an 8.8% drop in 2020). By 2040, daily traffic in both directions on this stretch of SR 92 is projected to reach 45,574 (an increase of 19,012 vehicles or 71.6%).