Arizona Governor’s Conference on Tourism

DATE: August 12-14, 2026

The Arizona Governor’s Conference on Tourism is the premier education and information-sharing event in the state for travel professionals and destination marketers. The conference provides its attendees the opportunity to exchange ideas with peers, learn from industry experts, draw inspiration from nationally renowned speakers and discover the latest in destination marketing techniques.

All conference details are below.

Questions? Please contact us at azgovcon@tourism.az.gov

Registration

Early Bird Registration (available until May 2, 2026): $400

Full Conference Registration: $500

To register for the event, visit: https://register6.net/GCOT/

Accommodations

This year’s conference will be hosted by the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort and Spa, 3800 W Starr Pass Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85745.

Room Rate: $149 plus taxes plus $15 resort fee. Rate is available 3 days before and after the conference, based on availability.
Room Rate Cutoff: July 20, 2026
Parking Rate: $5 per night

To book hotel rooms, visit: https://book.passkey.com/go/ArizonaGovernorsConference

Awards Nominations

Governor’s Tourism Awards Celebration

Nominations for the new 2026 Arizona Governor’s Tourism Awards are officially open!

We’re excited to share we’ve expanded our awards program, with the following four awards available for each of Arizona’s five tourism regions (Northern, North Central, Central, West Coast and Southern). View award categories here.

Destination Ambassador: Presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication and contributions to the advancement of tourism in their region.

Rising Star: Presented to an early-career individual who is up-and-coming in the tourism industry in their region within the last five years. This individual has shown exceptional drive, determination and initiative in their role.

Marketing Initiative: Presented to a group, organization or individual that created and executed the best tourism marketing initiative, campaign and/or event that attracted visitors to their region.

Stewardship Excellence: Presented to a group, organization or individual that has made a significant contribution toward the cultural, environmental and/or historic preservation of their region.

In addition to our new regional approach, we are also maintaining our popular Spirit of Service and Hall of Fame statewide honors to create a complete awards program that reflects the excellence of our tourism industry.

Best of all, submitting a nomination is completely free and simple. You can easily complete your submission using our quick Google Form, or opt for the available PDF submission form.

Winners will be recognized August 13, 2026, during the Governor’s Tourism Awards celebration at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

Questions? Contact azgovcon@tourism.az.gov