2007/10/17 Council Agenda Packet

Attachment A Everett Tourism Marketing Plan Proposal Statewide Overview While the Washington State Tourism Office is in a state of change with the new Interim Director and with the legislative and Governor approved tourism commission yet to be created, the stated goals established are focused on strengthening the state's economy through promotion of Washington as a year-round travel destination. The office implements domestic and international marketing and tourism development programs with a particular emphasis on increasing off- season travel to rural and under-visited areas of the state. Washington State's tourism industry defined its primary goal to establish the state as one of the top and most desirable year-round travel destinations in the United States, attracting customers with a broad variety of interests to Washington's diverse regions. The State Tourism Office engages in a comprehensive media relations and travel trade program covering the region, the nation, and key international markets and a cohesive marketing and advertising program whose activities include promoting Washington State to potential travelers who live in the Northwest and the surrounding western states to encourage them to visit the Tourism Office website at www.experiencewashington.com. The State Tourism Office has seen a decrease in web visits(year to date through April 2007) however received over 3.2 million potential travelers visiting the state's website in 2006. The state travel impacts studies indicate that the tourism industry has experienced an 8.6% increase amounting to $13.8 billion in direct travel spending in Washington State in 2006 and is the fourth straight year of positive growth. (Source Washington State Visitor Travel Impacts and Visitor Volume— 1991-2006p-Dean Runyan Associates) Well over half of all visitor spending in Washington State is attributable to international visitors and residents of other states. It is estimated that international travelers generate ten percent of all visitor spending in Washington in 2006, including Canadians. The decline in international travel spending was steeper from 2000 to 2001 and has been slower to recover than domestic travel spending. Domestic out-of-state visitors comprise another 47 percent of all visitor spending in the state. Although this figure includes some day travel from Oregon and Idaho, the vast majority of out-of-state visitors stay overnight and a large share of them travel by air to Washington (as much as two-thirds of all out-of-state visitor spending is attributable to air travelers). Source Washington State Visitor Travel Impacts and Visitor Volume— 1991-2006p—Dean Runyan Associates) The domestic sources of overnight travelers to Washington State are from within Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana and Texas. Visitation from this regional market increased 9% from 1999 to 2003. Overnight sources of business to urban centers include Portland, Spokane, Yakima, Los Angeles, and Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto. (Source: Washington State Visitor Profile, A Report on the 2003 Travel Year by Longwoods International) During 2006, it is estimated that travel spending in Washington State will directly support 146,000 jobs with earnings of$4.0 billion. This represents an increase of 1.7 percent over 2005, and is now at its highest level ever. Source Washington State Visitor Travel Impacts and Visitor Volume — 1991-2006p—Dean Runyan Associates) The Washington State Tourism program has a mission of improving the contribution of the travel industry to the state's economy and to develop and leverage resources and customer-focused programs to attract and maximize traveler spending throughout the State of Washington. The state must also play the lead role in attracting new visitors to the state from targeted national and Snohomish County Tourism Bureau 5 Everett Tourism Marketing and Visitor Services Proposal