sign up for eNewsletter

past eNewsletters

ATA eNewsletter

February 2009

Meet Bob Bondurant, One "Advocate of the Year"

The 2009 Advocates of the Year have been selected to be honored at the 5th Annual Arizona Tourism Unity Dinner, to be held April 15, 2009 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. In the months leading up to the Dinner, the ATA will provide a brief spotlight on each of these three Advocates. This series will allow the industry to meet each Advocate and provides a snapshot of the enormous contribution each Advocate has made on the Arizona tourism industry. Meet our first Advocate, a man who needs no introduction –Mr. Bob Bondurant of the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.

Internationally recognized as the leading authority on advanced driver training, Bob Bondurant has been at the forefront of professional driving instruction since 1968. See Biography of Bondurant. Over 250,000 students, ranging from housewives, racers and celebrities, to teenagers, professionals and police officers, have learned from Bondurant’s expertise.

When asked how it all started, Mr. Bondurant said, “I grew up in Southern California where I opened my first driving school. However, when I visited Arizona for the first time, it just gave me a special feeling. The unsurpassed natural beauty, the warm dry weather – it did my soul good, and I told myself this is the place I wanted to be. “

The School sits on the Gila River Indian Reservation and the Gila River community. Bondurant said, “I share a mutual respect and love of the land. Throughout the eighteen years I have been on the reservation, I have learned and benefited from their culture, and I hope they have benefited from the School, as we have opened our School to their people for driver training and donated to their charities.”

As a consumer advisor and spokesperson, Bondurant travels across the country promoting safe and advanced driving skills. He talks with dealer personnel about selling high performance vehicles and to consumer groups about safe driving. Bondurant also advises automotive engineers on handling and performance characteristics for future automobiles. But in talking to Bondurant, he’d rather be here, “at home.” Bondurant said, “Arizona has become home to me. I enjoy road trips to the diverse, neighboring cities. Nothing is better than driving with the top down - a Corvette, of course! - taking in the warming rays and picturesque mountains.”

What type of impact does the School have on Maricopa County? A significant one.

In 2008 alone, the Bondurant School attracted over 1,700 visitors from outside of Maricopa County to its driving courses, with an estimated direct spending impact of $4.2 million to the Maricopa County economy. As a result of continuing operations, the Bondurant School directly injected an estimated $6.4 million into the Maricopa County economy in 2008 through its organizational expenditures. The Bondurant School’s corporate group programs hosted over 2,200 visiting students in 2008, with an estimated direct spending impact of $1.2 million to the Maricopa County economy.

And where do these visitors stay when they’re visiting Bondurant? What do they purchase? The average Bondurant car course student stays in the Phoenix area for just over 4 nights, with an average hotel room rate of $160 per night. The average Bondurant car course student spends $105 per day on food and drink. The average Bondurant car course student spends $165 per day on additional entertainment and souvenirs, outside of their activities at the school.

As a key member of the tourism industry, Mr. Bondurant’s considerable contribution to our economy and his passion and dedication to our great state made him a simple selection for the 2009 Advocate of the Year award. A true tourism champion, Bondurant added, “Of the 250,000 students that we’ve trained over the years, most are from out-of-state.  I’d like to think that I have opened their eyes to a region that offers, in my opinion, the absolute best of everything.”  

These figures are approximations of direct impact only, taken from a combination of Bondurant records as well as direct surveys administered to students of the school. A comprehensive report will be released in late April/early May, detailing the full direct and indirect economic impacts of the Bob Bondurant School to Maricopa County.

about the ATA
events
eNewsletter