Jessica Mitchell Remington is Tusayan’s new Marketing Coordinator and will be leading efforts to bring more visitors to the town. Her experience includes more than seven years at the Arizona office of Tourism.

 “Prior to joining the team at Tusayan, I was with AOT for almost 7.5 years. I was the Director of Travel Industry Marketing and focused primarily on B2B  (business to business)Marketing. My markets were International, and I traveled often to key international markets to meet with tour operators, attend travel shows, and bring awareness to Arizona,” Remington said.

She says her experience is a good fit, especially as it relates to international travelers, “My time with AOT enabled me to build a strong understanding of what the international traveler is looking for, as well as foster and grow relationships with key trade stakeholders.  This will come in handy as we help build more awareness for the Town of Tusayan.”

Remington came on board in the aftermath of the Dragon Bravo Fire in the North Rim. While the fire did not directly impact the South Rim, it created the false perception that the South Rim was closed to tourists.

Remington says the fire, and its aftermath taught her some valuable lessons, “ The Dragon Bravo Fire was catastrophic and sadly made history for the wrong reasons. The fire not only impacted the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but also the nearby communities that depend on tourism to the Grand Canyon National Park.  I think one of the biggest challenges the Dragon Bravo Fire brought to light was that people don’t realize the distances between the North Rim and the South Rim and the distance between the two Rims (it can take you almost 4-5 hours to drive from one Rim to the other). This will be a collaborative effort with nearby communities to help educate travelers and key trade that the South Rim is a completely separate experience (and location) from the North Rim. “

 She says attracting tourists is a collaborative effort and plans to work with local businesses, the Arizona Office of Tourism, and the travel industry to bring more visitors to Tusayan, “  My top priorities are destination trainings, providing educational opportunities to the town businesses,, and bringing overall awareness to the Town of Tusayan to key travel trade stakeholders, both domestically and internationally. I hope to continue to strengthen the town’s relationship with AOT and collaborate on future opportunities they bring to the state.  We’ve partnered with AOT on their Rural Co-Op Marketing program this fiscal year, and we’re excited about our selections for FY26 and look forward to sharing more details soon.”

While many communities such as Williams, Flagstaff, and Valle try to capitalize on their proximity to the Grand Canyon, only Tusayan can claim to be AT the Grand Canyon. Remington says its about location, “Other nearby communities have done a good job branding themselves as “The Gateway to the Grand Canyon” but my intent is for Tusayan to take back that ownership and declare themselves “The Grand Canyon” and promote the proximity to the National Park entry.”

She will be focused on building awareness and product for the Town, as well as relationships with the businesses. “I am hoping to also bring educational opportunities to the Tusayan businesses, so they can better understand how to maximize their reach and promote their businesses as well. My goal is to try and get all Tusayan businesses involved and share the same opportunities with everyone.”