Apache Junction is located at the scenic foothills of the Superstition Mountains. It has a rich cinematic history, a Western draw, and a banquet of outdoor attractions. Already, the city’s official population of roughly 39,000 residents doubles to nearly 80,000 each winter due to the seasonal migration of visitors from colder climates who primarily stay in recreational vehicles and mobile-home parks. However, city officials believe that beyond this influx, Apache Junction’s tourism industry is underperforming. This has in part to do with stereotypes about the community held by residents and visitors. These lingering negative perceptions within and outside of the city may discourage people from spending time and money in the city and overshadow its positive attributes.
With its “Positively AJ” campaign, Apache Junction aims to improve its image, attract business, and show that the city is a compelling year-round destination for both residents and non-residents. It is important to note that visitors are increasingly getting first impressions of destinations through online avenues and are making decisions based on their digital experiences. Further, having a strong understanding of assets, strengths, and opportunities helps destinations such as Apache Junction figure out what visitor market to target, both online and with a greater brand campaign.
This is where Arizona State University’s Project Cities enters the picture. Two fall 2017 courses, TDM 372 Tourism Planning and TWC 544 User Experience, enlisted in the program to support Apache Junction in strengthening the tourism component of Positively AJ. TDM 372 assessed Apache Junction’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and used this analysis to highlight a new target visitor market forApache Junction and provide guidance for related tourism strategies. Students focused on the overall picture of tourism, from its present state to its promise, in Apache Junction. The students in this course evaluated Apache Junction’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats based on community engagement and literature-based research. Results included that its outdoor attractions(Superstition Mountains, Canyon Lake, Lost Dutchman State Park) and nearby events (Renaissance Festival, Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo) are some strengths. Weaknesses include a lack of a coherent brand, a lack of funding dedicated to tourism and tourism-related infrastructure, a shortage of restaurants and lodging to support short-term visitors. Building upon these results, the students determined that ApacheJunction needs a strong tourism brand, and should consider targeting the adventure tourism market. They presented three strategies, including increasing overall social media activity (as adventure tourists are largely a younger demographic), developing uniform marketing campaigns, and collaborating with other Arizona tourism organizations to cross-promote Apache Junction as an Arizona destination.