In the wake of Arizona’s passage of an illegal immigration reform bill last year, opponents vowed to inflict harsh economic punishment on that state via boycotts. A quick Google search shows dozens of organizations vowing to avoid Arizona.
As Georgia’s bill, HB 87, awaits Gov. Nathan Deal’s signature, groups are promising to inflict a similarly harsh economic punishment on our great state. Already we have heard reports that the U.S. Human Rights Network has vowed to move their annual conference of 600 people from Atlanta.
Joining those warning of dire economic consequences is the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Recently, they adopted a resolution warning of the potential loss of revenues associated with conventions and tourism and its adverse effect on businesses and employees directly and indirectly associated with the hospitality industry.
Currently, there are organizations and individuals boycotting almost everything imaginable. We should respect this form of protest, but should we fear it?
A widely reported study by the left-wing Center For American Progress suggests Arizona’s tourism industry suffered a $141 million loss as a direct result of the passage of its illegal immigration reform bill. No nonpartisan group has produced an economic impact study of the effect of these boycotts.
What the Center for American Progress doesn’t tell you is that tourists spend $19.3 billion in Arizona each year. In other words, the boycott of Arizona, which has received tremendous coverage in the national media, caused a three-quarters-of-1-percent drop in tourism revenue, according to the calculations distributed by this one partisan group.
Has the boycott been successful? Let each reader decide for themselves, but I for one am not impressed.
Tourism is a $31.3 billion industry in Georgia. It is understandable that folks in that industry would work to protect Georgia’s image. However, those who say Gov. Deal should veto HB 87 because of the potential of a less than 1 percent drop in tourism revenue are on shaky ground.
An improving national economy will have a greater positive impact than any negative effect from organized boycotts.
We are proud of our state and have a long history of welcoming visitors with open arms. We welcome those visiting us for a vacation as well as those who chose to legally live and work here. Atlanta has long been known as “the city too busy to hate,” and nothing in our new illegal immigration reform bill will change that fact.
Georgians should not fear the threat of boycotts.
Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville, is a Georgia state representative.
