By admin 
SELIGMAN (AZFamily) — Route 66 is turning 100 this year, and many businesses are hoping for extra income with an increase in tourists.
Read more Dryer vent drama ends in purr-fect rescue for kitten in Goodyear
However, here in the U.S., gas prices are up about 30% compared with last summer, and international tourism has been on the decline for the last few years.
Route 66 gives travelers a glimpse into the old Americana vibe.
The historic highway offers roadside diners, cross-country travel and the chance to stay in a different motel every night, like the Aztec Motel in Seligman. Anna Gonzalez and Sebastian de Boorder are the owners of the motel.
“I bought it in the middle of the night on the internet,” Anna said. “By the time he woke, I said, ‘I think I may have bought a motel.’”
For Anna, it was a return home to Arizona. For Sebastian, who is from the Netherlands, the Americana scene became his American dream.
“To achieve our American dream, we had a lot of hard work, and you know we accomplished a lot together,” Sebastian said.
However, international tourism has been in decline over the past few years. According to The Independent, four million fewer foreign visitors visited the United States in 2025 than in 2024.
Josh Coddington with the state’s tourism department said it’s a different story in Arizona, where international tourism actually grew by 1% over last year but was flat compared with 2024.
So the state is putting money and marketing behind a plan to encourage tourists from outside the country to keep visiting the Grand Canyon State.
Read more Pima County Treasurer Brian Johnson resigning
“Especially with overseas international visitors, like visitors from the U.K., Germany and France, they love Americana, and they love Route 66,” Coddington said. “So we’ve made special efforts to reach out to all of our international destinations.”
Now, high gas prices are hitting American travelers too.
Anna and Sebastian said while peak tourism season is just starting, they’re already down about 20% compared with last year.
“It’s difficult times for everybody right now, but we do because everything in our town is family-owned by individuals,” Sebastian said. “Chains have nothing here.”
The International Trade Commission is predicting international tourism will be back on the rise across the country again this year.
Anna is hopeful the rest of the summer will be busier and urges travelers to support local businesses like theirs.
“I would say it’s probably the most patriotic thing you can do,” she said. “You know, as we are seeing a slower season, I think that’s what you can do to keep us afloat, and I would say it’s also really fun.”
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more Brush fire partially closes U.S. 93 near border of Mohave, Yavapai counties