It’s no coincidence that Papillion Helicopters has its corporate sales and marketing office in Las Vegas and its Corporate Accounting Office in Boulder City. Elling Halvorson’s Papillion Airlines flies hundreds of thousands of people every year from Las Vegas to the Canyon.

Those tourists stay in Vegas. The tourists who land may spend a little money here. Those who don’t spend no money in Tusayan. Halvorson spends loads of cash to market his tours from Vegas or Phoenix to the Canyon. While he does have ample flights that originate from the South Rim, it’s clear Halvorson’s heart is in Nevada. That’s why his corporate structure is there. Maybe that’s why Halvorson does not live in Tusayan.

Thanks to Halvorson Nevada tourist sites market these floy-0vers and treat the Grand Canyon as if it were in Nevada as is done by Vegas.com.

As Halvorson’s business partner Stilo opines about increasing tourism and as the Town Council once considered changing Tusayan’s name, perhaps the community should look to the person most responsible for diverting tourists from Tusayan, Elling Halvorson.