Salsa Trail hot winner of governor’s award

Published on Sunday, July 20, 2008 4:14 PM MST

Contributed Article

Arizona’s Salsa Trail received top recognition for Marketing Innovation at this year’s Arizona Governor’s Conference for Tourism.

Graham County Chamber of Commerce Tourism Council Chairman Bill Civish and Mike Finney, president of AZ Communications Group, took center stage July 10 to receive the award on behalf of the Chamber and all Salsa Trail businesses.

Graham County Chamber of Commerce Tourism Council Chairman Bill Civish, left, and Mike Finney, president of AZ Communications Group, take center stage to receive an award on behalf of the Chamber and all Salsa Trail businesses. Pictured at center is Margie Emmerman, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism. Photo by Diane Drobka

The Arizona Office of Tourism reviewed applicants for this prestigious award, and finalists included the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Civish said, “It was quite an honor to have the Salsa Trail recognized as the best promotion in the entire state. We plan to display the Governor’s Award in the Chamber office so that visitors to Graham County will share the pride we all feel.”

The Salsa Trail was the brainchild of the Chamber Tourism Council, which developed an idea to announce to the world that when you visit Graham County you can enjoy terrific Mexican food and meet really friendly people. That’s what the Salsa Trail is all about, and the promotion of that idea is bringing tourists to the area to stay in motels, visit attractions and shop in businesses throughout the county.

Salsa Trail businesses report a steady flow of customers who announce they came here because they’ve heard about the Trail. There have been articles about the Salsa Trail published in local, regional and national publications (print and online) that include Chile Pepper Magazine, Arizona Highways, SUNSET magazine, US Airways, the Arizona Republic and AAA Highroads.

The advertising value of those articles that feature the Salsa Trail and the Graham County area is nearly $200,000. Information on the media placements and all the details about the Salsa Trail can be seen at www.SalsaTrail.com.

The Salsa Trail businesses are sprinkled throughout the county: Casa Mañana, Chalo’s, El Charro, El Coronado, Manor House Rock N’ Horse Saloon, Mi Casa Tortilla Factory, San Simon Chile Company and Taco Taste in Safford; Bush & Shurtz in Pima; La Casita Café in Thatcher; La Paloma in Solomon; P.J.’s in Clifton; Hilda’s Market in Duncan; the Salsa Fiesta in Willcox and Gi’mee’s in York.

The hottest event in Southern Arizona, the second Annual SalsaFest will be Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27, in Safford Town Square. Downtown Safford will be aglow with hot air balloons on Friday evening as festivities begin in the historic town square. The evening Balloon Glow will light up the Taste of the Salsa Trail where Salsa Trail restaurants will be featured. The SalsaFest is a celebration of everything salsa, including an opportunity to win prizes and bragging rights in the Salsa Challenge.

The 2008 SalsaFest is 5 – 9 p.m. Friday, and Saturday’s activities begin at 10 a.m. Entry to the Salsa Tent is $4 for adults to sample entrees and participate as judges for the People’s Choice Awards. Proceeds from the event will benefit a special community project to be awarded by the Safford Lions Club and the Gila Valley Rotary Club. Event hosts EUROFRESH Farms, The Eastern Arizona Courier, National Bank of Arizona, McMurray Radio and the Valley Telecom Group are sponsors of this year’s SalsaFest.

Information is available at the above Web site or by calling the Graham County Chamber of Commerce at 888-837-1841 or 928-428-2511.

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Comments

1 comment(s)

glenda Worthington wrote on Aug 3, 2008 11:21 AM:

" There has been some good hard work and brain power to get something like this going. I wish that someone in our state of Isaho could get a potato path going here. As the Aussies would say, GOOD ON YA! "

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