Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 38

Phoenix seeks foreign visitors, brings in tour operators Gas-price shock blamed on crude PHOEXH from page El 338,560 international visitors to the Phoenix area in 1995, producing an economic impact of $66.5 million, according to the bureau. That's about one-third of the foreign visitors who came to the Valley in 1995 on their own or through non-receptive tour operators. "Receptive tour operators are the base of your international visitors," said Char Beltran, director of travel industry sales for the bureau. "We know we can compete with any destination. We want them to recognize us as the gateway to the Southwest." British Airways offers four non stop flights a week between Phoenix and London and will resume daily service April 1.

LTU, a German carrier, late last year began providing weekly non-stop service to Dusseldorf. In addition, Phoenix has air service to seven cities in Mexico. To help entice the tour operators to Phoenix, the bureau invited travel suppliers and tourism officials from California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Sonora, Mexico, to the event. Their representatives will set up booths and meet with the operators, who can get more this way. "Every destination Wants their attention," Beltran said, adding that is providing air transportation, anc the Carefree Inn is picking up the tab, for lodging.

During their stay, the operators: will visit the Heard Museum, Phoenix) Art Museum and Arizona Science Center, as well as Rawhide, and spend' an evening aboard the Desert Princess-yacht at Lake Pleasant. The operators) also will have the opportunity to play) golf, shop, take hikes and tour the desert on Harley-Davidson motorcy- cles. While the desert, the Old West and' Native American cultures are a strong! sell to foreign visitors coming to-Arizona, there is also a desire to tour' cities and visit museums, Beltran San Diego and Las Vegas want to co-sponsor the event with the convention bureau next year. Most foreign visitors want to see as much as they can during a visit, so it makes sense to regionally partner with other cities, she said. Also setting up booths will be representatives from Valley ground transportation companies, shopping malls, hotels and resorts, golf courses, destination management companies, and others with this aim of developing travel packages to the Valley.

This week's event is expected to cost $200,000, with 80 percent of the cost covered by private companies and the remainder borne by the bureau. For example, America West Airlines are not profitable and therefore they need to start making a profit," Margrafsaid. Some people are blaming the wrong people for the price increases, station managers say. "The general public comes in and beats up this $5 (an hour) cashier, and they have nothing to do with it," said Dennis Austin, who owns six Exxon stations in Phoenix. "The price increases are caused by people sitting in swivel chairs in high offices somewhere far removed from here." mmO, from page El Randomly selected stations in more rural areas around the state, including Holbrook, Kingman and Nogales, reported that gasoline prices had gone up 2 to 7 cents since Monday.

Gasoline prices are typically 10 to 15 cents higher in Arizona outside of Phoenix and Tucson, according to the American Automobile Association. Oil-company officials and gasoline-station owners had varying theories on the cause of the increases, but all said there didn't appear to be an oil shortage or anything that would clearly signal another rise. "The bottom line is that gasoline-product prices haven't been keeping atelier's tts Corner up with the crude-oil increases, said Hayden Winkler, regional pricing and supply manager for Chevron Products AJ's based in La Habra, Calif. For example, he said, Chevron charged its Tucson dealers 5 cents more for gasoline this January than it did last January, while crude oil has l-rese risen IS cents in that same penod. Winkler said the same trend was occurring at Chevron stations around the nation.

finest selection of premium quality meats in the Southwest, All selections are skillfully prepared by While Chevron actually pumps about half its own oil, many service the experienced, skilled craftsmen at the Butchers Corner. AJ's will only serve you the best quality meats, stations around Arizona purchase it. iosco which is basea in Connecticut, owns Circle service stations and controls Exxon stations in Arizona and BP stations in the Northwest. like Midwestern Corn-Fed USDA Choice, or Angus Prime-Aged Beef and our All Natural Lean Generation Pork. The poultry at AJ's is also the best you can find, its All Natural, Preservative-Free and Grain-Fed.

We have it delivered fresh daily to ensure quality. AJ's Seafood Corner features an outstanding array of Gourmet Quality Fresh Fish including Sushimi Grade Tuna, Atlantic Salmon and Shellfish like Lobster, Crab and Prawns. Voted "Best of Phoenix" by the New Times, AJ's Fine Foods is proud of its outstanding reputation for delivering unmatched quality and service that is truly incredible. Here is just a sample of what's in store for you at AJ's Butchers Corner. "The industry was expecting crude to go down, and they kept absorbing the costs, but now it appears people are raising prices," said Paul Oves, a spokesman for Circle in Phoenix.

"I won't speculate on future cost, but this is not as if there's a pending crisis. The cost of the basic crude product Premium, Aged, New York Strip Steaks rises with supply and demand. "When dealers started getting in AJ starts with only the best Midwestern Corn-Fed Beef. After selecting the finest beef creases, they called the oil companies and every company gave the same available, AJ's expert butchers use their unique skills to make them even better by response, which is that oil companies cutting them directly from the center of the striploin, making sure they are marbled perfectly and then trimming the jexternal fat to an eighth of an inch. These steaks are so tender and juicy they-will jnelt in your mouth.

If you love great beef, you'll love these steaks from AJ's New owner of Los Arcos plans redesign NEW OWNEIl from page El $8.99 per pound- Steve Ellman, principal of the mall's new owner, could not be reached for comment. Valley real estate sources say Ellman is negotiating to buy the Sears store, as well as land around the 43-acre development. The real estate firm, which also owns the Pavillions in Mesa and the Groves in Tempe, has hired a New IV. I York architect to design a redevelop ment plan for Los Arcos. Dave Roderique, economic devel Baby Back Pork Ribs These ribs are always a favorite at AJ's A Butchers Corner.

They are lean and opment director for Scottsdale, said the mall probably will be transformed into a mixed-used project, judged by some Valley retail sources as the best 'V- 'r meaty and filled with flavor. Sized to option for Los Arcos. two and a half pounds or less Because the mall lost one of its anchors, the Broadway store, its l- These delicious ribs will be the best owners have tried to redevelop the i I project. A you ever tasted! $3.99 per pound Scottsdale Fashion Square, just a few miles away, hurt the mall's chances for getting new big depart ment-store anchors. Equity Properties ran the mall and tried to turn it into a power center Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts I AJ's features chicken breasts that are a large full ten ounces, all natural and grain-fed.

The chicken at AJ's is truly the best you'll find in town. They are hand-selected by AJ's purveyors and delivered fresh six days a week to ensure quality and freshness. Barbecue them for a lite and healthy meal. $4.99 per pound with stores such as Home Depot. 1 The Colonnade, a Phoenix shopping center on Camelback Road and 22nd Street, is an example of an older shopping center that was recently made into a successful power center.

Westcor Partners of Phoenix developed that project and even got some money from the city to redo the ailing center. I Equity had made little progress with its efforts to redevelop the mall before it sold the property at the end of 1996. Scottsdale and Los Arcos neighborhood groups have rallied for the mall's redevelopment. Some think the mall's rejuvenation could be a catalyst for improvement in the south Scottsdale area, one of the older parts of the city. '-'I Fresh Atlantic Salmon The Fresh Atlantic Salmon at AJ's is delivered daily straight from the cool waters of Canada.

AJ's Atlantic Salmon is the firmest, freshest Atlantic Salmon you can buy today. Our Salmon is graded, packed in ice and shipped within hours, so you know its fresh. AJ's has strict grading standards to ensure quality. i AJ's Salmon remains chemical free and natural. Stop by today and experience the difference.

$7.99 per pound At AJ's, Alaskan Red King Crab Legs are Premium Quality. They AW average twenty inches in length! These Jumbo Crab Legs, with sweet succulent A I tender meat, are fully cooked and ready for you to heat and serve as an appetizer Cable-provider Cox plans phone service t- CABLE, from page El bearing on Cox's plans, mainly because its markets are vastly different. "If you look at them, they have a lot of rural cable systems," he said. In contrast, Johnson said, Cox has succeeded in "clustering" its cable systems. "You have to have economies of scale and cost efficiency across large urban markets to succeed" with a multimedia strategy, he said.

The average size of Cox's cable or a main dish. $13.99 per pound Jumbo Cooked Shrimp at AJ's Seafood Corner are pond-raised Black Tiger Shrimp and are fully peeled and deveined. 26-30 count $13.99 per pound systems is about 50,000 customers, Visit AJ' and experience the difference! Phoenix, Central Camelback 230-7091 Scottsdale, Scottsdale Lincoln 998-1012' Scottsdale Ranch, Via Linda Mountain View 39 1 -3447 Moon Valley, 7th Street Thunderbird 863-0727 Pima Pinnacle Peak 563-5045 compared with an industry average of 10,000 to 20,000, he said. Although Johnson said he is confident of Cox's plans, he said the company's rollout plans for phone and Internet-access service "may slide 30 to 60 days," depending on a number of technical and competitive factors..