A new report says tourism spending in Arizona totaled $22.7 billion last year, an increase of nearly 7 percent from the previous year.
The report commissioned by the state Office of Tourism attributes the increase in tourism spending in 2017 to higher gas prices and strong growth in spending on hotel and motel stays.
Air travel on domestic flights to Arizona destinations increased by nearly 6 percent, slightly below the 7 percent increase the previous year.
Tourism spending is generally seen in the leisure and hospitality sector of the state's economy, along with transportation and retail.
The report was based on search conducted by Dean Runyan Associates, a firm based in Portland, Oregon.