Published on : Wednesday, February 14, 2018
After seven years since the budget cuts brought the closure of Washington’s tourism office, the state Senate has collectively approved a bill creating a new tourism marketing program.
President and CEO of Yakima Valley Tourism John Cooper said that he is happy with the passage of the bill, which will now be implemented.
“We’re just glad we’re getting somewhere,” Cooper said.
Since 2011, Washington has been without a coordinated tourism marketing program, when financial pressures resulted in the closure of its tourism office.
Under Senate Bill 5251, 0.2 percent of the retail sales tax collected by lodging facilities, car rentals and restaurants would finance state tourism marketing efforts.
The sales tax collection would provide a maximum of $1.5 million in funding during the 2019 fiscal year and then $3 million during the biennium, the state’s two-year budget cycle.
Washington is the only state without a coordinated tourism program. A non-profit organization, the Washington Tourism Alliance, was formed shortly after the office’s closure, but has only had enough funding for a tourism guide and a website, www.experiencewa.com
However, even under proposed legislation, Washington State would still be well behind its neighboring states. California and Oregon, for example, had tourism marketing budgets of $117 million and $32 million, respectively.
But Cooper said, “This will help us get back in the game.” The bill now goes before the state House.
Tags: tourism marketing program, Washington State
|
||||
   
|
||||
   |
||||
 |
