Arizona Boycott Goes Viral As State's Tourism Industry Tries to Fight Back

[niceypoo]

The Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association set up its own Facebook page, called http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-Boycott-AZ-Tourism-Dont-punish-200k-tourism-employees-for-politics/112213582152019?ref=search&sid=1603968.3594406067..1">“Don’t Boycott AZ Tourism” most likely to battle the three other “Boycott Arizona” Facebook pages already in use, a petition site and a general Arizona-bashing. The Facebook page, which has the sub-headline of “Don’t punish 200k tourism employees for politics,” so far has 802 followers. The primary Boycott Arizona page has more than 11,000. That’s what the Arizona hospitality industry is up against — a very aggressive and antagonistic social media campaign oppposed to Arizona’s controversial new anti-immigrant laws.

So far it’s working. The American Immigration Lawyers Association notified JW Marriott in Scottsdale that it will cancel a 300-plus person event, saying, “We didn’t feel it was appropriate to have a meeting in (the) state.”

At the Arizona Inn in Tucson, 12 customers canceled reservations or said they wouldn’t come to the state because of the recent law.

http://industry.bnet.com/travel/10005845/arizona-boycott-goes-viral-tourism-tries-to-fight-back/