As Goodyear prepares for the arrival of the state's first Buc-ee’s travel center, local officials are executing a behind-the-scenes economic strategy to transform a massive roadside attraction into long-term community revenue.
When the Texas-based travel center opens its doors on Monday, June 22 at Interstate 10 and Bullard Avenue, it is expected to draw up to 40,000 vehicles during its first week. While the volume of visitors will require a designated 6.5-mile traffic route to manage opening-day crowds, Goodyear economic development officials are focused on keeping those consumers in town.
“We are incredibly excited that Buc-ee’s chose Goodyear as its newest home,” said Mayor Joe Pizzillo. “ We encourage visitors to explore our vibrant downtown at Goodyear Civic Square, enjoy our local restaurants and businesses, and experience everything that makes Goodyear such a special place.”
The city’s Office of Tourism, launched in July 2025, is entering its second year with a hard pivot toward external marketing, digital advertising and consumer-facing campaigns designed to catch the eyes of travelers stopping for the retail phenomenon.
"Buc-ee’s is going to be one of the best things to get Goodyear on the map for tourists," Wendy Bridges, Goodyear’s former economic development director, said.
While Bridges laid out the macro strategy to the City Council, the ground-level execution is being led by Joe Stewart, the city's interim deputy director of economic development. Stewart said internal data shows approximately 45% of Buc-ee's visitors travel from more than 100 miles away.
"That's a lot of new eyes on Goodyear," Stewart said. "Our council vision is to get tourists to visit Goodyear and stay in Goodyear. If you're here to see Buc-ee's, stay the next day, go to the Estrella Mountains and explore."
The push for multi-day visitation is mathematically tied to municipal funding. The Office of Tourism operates as a division of the economic development department and relies heavily on Proposition 302, a state program fueled by hotel taxes and rental car surcharges administered by the Arizona Office of Tourism.
Because the funding requires a focus on driving overnight stays, the city has historically promoted spring training at Goodyear Ballpark, the winter home of the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds.
“Spring training is the big draw,” Bridges said. “But sports tourism and tournament tourism are absolutely something we (want to) grow beyond.”
Stewart said his team is expanding that focus to a year-round approach, highlighting local amenities like the GSQ downtown development, the Bullard Wash, local golf courses and outdoor recreation.
To prepare for the influx of out-of-state visitors, Goodyear centralized its physical operations by transferring the city’s official Arizona Visitor Information Center designation from the West Valley Chamber offices to City Hall.
The city also established a quarterly tourism roundtable with local hotels and hospitality partners. Feedback from those meetings led directly to the creation of print dining guides distributed at hotel front desks to actively redirect overnight guests into local brick-and-mortar restaurants.
"Having hotels is really important... if (people are) staying here, they're eating, shopping and dining here," Stewart said. "They might buy something at Buc-ee's, but then they have dinner and breakfast locally. It adds a layer of economic impact to our community without building more housing."
The tourism branding is also serving as a corporate recruitment tool. Stewart noted that a packaged, distinct identity helps the city's broader economic development team pitch the municipality to target industries like healthcare, manufacturing and life sciences.
"Businesses and companies want to be in a place where they can envision their employees living and working," Stewart said.
The city plans to launch a fully rebranded, holistic tourism website by the end of the summer, moving away from a digital portal that previously focused exclusively on spring training.
Visit goodyearaz.gov for more information.
James Goldmeer Reporter | Goodyear & Litchfield Park
Meet James James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.
Education: Northern Arizona University a bachelor's degree in Journalism, a certificate in Professional Communications, with a minor in English.
Random Fact: James spent half a year as an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives communication team, working with legislators to inform the public through press releases and social media.
Hobbies: James collects postcards and old books, reads memoirs and attends local jazz shows.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here