The House Committee on Land, Agriculture and Rural Affairs has approved spending $900,000 in tax dollars in a bid to convince Arizonans and others across the country to visit the state's remaining dude ranches.
Dude ranches, also known as guest ranches, treat visitors to Wild West experiences like horseback riding. According to the Dude Ranch Association website, Arizona's range from small, secluded properties to large, resort-style facilities.
Arizona Dude Ranch Association lobbyist, Kevin DeMenna, told the committee that dude ranches lost their international customer base because of the pandemic, and that a promotional campaign would help spur a domestic market.
He said unlike other tourism businesses, dude ranches are dealing with more than just laying off workers.
"They don’t typically deal with a horse herd in numbers in excess of a few hundred. You can’t furlough the animals, they got to be fed," DeMenna said.
DeMenna also said there is precedent for lawmakers helping out with a sector of tourism, pointing to a deal in 2018 where state lawmakers voted to give $1.5 million a year in sales tax revenues for 30 years to the Arizona Office of Tourism to promote events at Phoenix International Raceway. DeMenna said the state has put money into promoting NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway.
However, some Democratic members had concerns that it’s an unequal comparison. Rep. Lorenzo Sierra (D-Cashion) whose district includes that raceway, said the raceway owners first had to put up $100 million of their own money on improvements as a condition to get the cash.
"They had skin in the game," Sierra said.
Also, Rep. Diego Rodriguez (D-Laveen) said there's a "deep well of documentation" showing the economic impact on Arizona of a NASCAR race. DeMenna says dude ranches can show impact as well, but he did not have those figures on hand.
The 7-4 vote now sends the measure to the House Appropriations Committee.
