Heathman Lodge Vancouver

Promotion of state now in tourism industry's hands

OLYMPIA — Business and travel industry leaders have begun marketing Washington just weeks after the state shut down its official tourism agency.

In another grueling year of budget compromises, July 1 marked the date when Washington became the first state to shutter its tourism agency. The decision gave primary responsibility for tourism marketing to the fledgling nonprofit Washington Tourism Alliance.

The WTA encompasses of a broad cross section of businesses and associations within Washington’s tourism industry, ranging from the Washington Restaurant Association to Red Lion and Best Western hotels. Its leaders created the group in February, following the announcement that officials would close the doors to the state tourism office.

With more than $300,000 raised from the tourism industry so far, the WTA has taken off fast, but it still has some holes to fill. Chief among those is who will serve as its interim director. Kim Bennett, CEO of the Vancouver Regional Tourism Office, played a key role in interviews to narrow the field of candidates to lead the WTA.

“I believe they’ve made a selection,” Bennett said, “and that will be announced somewhere around July 22.”

The state put about $2 million into tourism marketing last year. The number represents a decline in funding over several years from a peak of $7 million. Bennett is optimistic that the complete shift to the private sector will bolster funding enough to surpass those amounts in the next few years.

“I’m hoping that in the first two or three years, the WTA can amass a budget of around $10 million,” she said.

Paying for it

Part of the WTA’s funding comes from membership fees, which range from $25 for individual members to $5,000 for the group’s founding partners. The other part will come from contracts with industry leaders such as the Port of Seattle, said WTA member Jane Kilburn.

Kilburn, the port’s director of tourism development, said at this point a larger portion of funding will come from the Port of Seattle, which she called a “catalyst” for the WTA. However, she anticipates the funding scheme will eventually change.

“We expect to raise money from more memberships,” Kilburn said, “but long term, we need to look at a more sustainable funding solution.”

Patti Brooke, the assistant director of the Business Services Division of the state Department of Commerce, oversaw the state’s tourism agency through its last day of operation. Brooke said she would like to see the WTA work with the state in a joint effort to put about $20 million a year toward tourism marketing.

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