Tourism in Washington Reaches Major Milestone

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 1, 2008 Contact: Kristin Jacobsen, Washington Tourism, kristinj@cted.wa.gov, 360.725.4176
Tourism in Washington Reaches Major Milestone
OLYMPIA – Reaching a major milestone for the tourism industry in Washington, the Washington Tourism Commission has developed and approved a state two-year tourism marketing plan. Approved at the March 26 meeting of the Commission, the plan was delivered yesterday to Juli Wilkerson, director of the Dept. of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED).
“Tourism is economic development. It means jobs and income for Washington families and businesses. Visitors also support the attractions and amenities that Washingtonians enjoy every day,” said Gov. Gregoire. “Washington is a unique state with a lot to offer and people want to travel here. Now, as part of my Next Washington plan for economic vitality, we are taking significant steps to bring visitors to our state with a comprehensive marketing plan that will capitalize on the unique experiences Washington has to offer.”
Gov. Gregoire in 2007 requested, and signed into law, historic legislation that doubled state funding for tourism promotion through a public-private partnership and created a state Tourism Commission. Chief among their duties is the development a two-year marketing plan and a six-year strategic tourism plan.
“The Washington tourism industry has been energized by Gov. Gregoire’s strategic investment in tourism and I am so pleased that the Commission has developed a strong marketing plan that the entire industry can grab on to and support,” said Wilkerson. “Commission members from across the state have been working very hard and putting in more time than required to deliver a comprehensive marketing plan that reflects the broad range of experiences and opportunities in Washington.”
The biennial marketing plan will work to expand relationships with existing Washington visitors to maximize the long term benefit from these visitors. Beyond current visitors, a key priority is refining the state’s brand identity to motivate new visitation, particularly from the western region of the U.S. and Canada. As required in the Governor’s tourism legislation, the creation of new vehicles and opportunities to allow the state to develop marketing partnerships with private stakeholders and industry suppliers are also essential to the state’s success as a premiere destination.
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Attached are the executive summary of the 2009/2010 Washington Tourism marketing plan and the complete 2009/2010 Washington Tourism marketing plan. The marketing plan will also be available online at www.experiencewa.com/industry, under the “Current Activities” column.
To view a complete list of the members of the Washington Tourism Commission, please visit http://www.wastatepressroom.com/assets/WashingtonStateTourismCommission.pdf.
CTED is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community and economic vitality in Washington. For more information, visit www.cted.wa.gov.