New Gaylord expects 12 million visitors

Gary Nelson has a great story about the new Gaylord National outside of Washington DC. They are doing well despite the down economy and are expected to attract over 12 million visitors this year. Read that again, 12 million visitors to the Maryland suburb.

That is the kind of exciting news that should keep the people in Mesa excited for the Gaylord coming out to the Gateway area. Yes, it might take a little more time than was expected, but it will be more than worth the wait. Let's also not forget that it is a billion dollars in local investment.

Imagine what 12 million visitors would mean for Mesa's local economy. It is true that we must continue to diversify our economy, becoming less dependent on sales tax dollars, but we also have to balance that out with harnessing Arizona's tourism opportunities and converting them into local dollars. The "T" in HEAT is tourism, afterall.