The board members and staff of the Washington Tourism Alliance are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Donna Cappa. Donna died on December 3rd, 2016 after being in a terrible accident the night before.
As the Director of Sales and Hotel Operations for the Tulalip Resort Casino and a WTA board member, Donna was a strong advocate for the WTA and worked tirelessly for the betterment of the entire Washington tourism industry. Donna will be dearly missed by her friends and colleagues.
The Tulalip Resort Casino held a beautiful celebration of Donna’s life on December 10th. Following Native American drum and prayer songs, her eldest daughter Rianne gave a moving eulogy. Calling Donna “bigger than life” and “a force to be reckoned with”, she shared that friends and family meant everything to Donna. This sentiment was echoed many times as other family members and friends shared memories and spoke about her life with emotion, eloquence, and humor.
Please join us in keeping her family and friends in our thoughts during this difficult time. If you are able and interested, click here to assist the family with funeral and emergency hospital expenses that were incurred.
As we approach the holidays and the new year, legislators are coming together to propose legislation intended to establish a long-term tourism marketing program for the state of Washington. As reported in this newsletter, a group of legislators have been working over the interim to fashion a program that will work within the constraints of the state budget.
- Creation of an industry-led Washington Tourism Marketing Authority (WTMA) consisting of nine representatives from the tourism industry and four legislators. The Authority would also have and advisory committee with representatives from appropriate state departments and a federally recognized tribe.
- Purpose of the WTMA would be to contract with a statewide non-profit entity to devise and implement a statewide tourism marketing plan and to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
- The marketing program would focus on bringing out-of-state tourists to Washington with special emphasis on outdoor recreation, tourism dependent counties and international tourists. It would also include provisions for helping tourism dependent areas impacted by natural disasters such as fires.
- Funding for the program would come from a $15 million biennial fund. This fund has two components: a diversion of .1% of the state sales tax on lodging, restaurants and rental cars (up to $5 million) and a private match of $10 million. The match can be both cash and in-kind contributions.
Please check the WTA website for the most updated news about the legislation. The site also offers ways that you can be a part of WTA’s grassroots advocacy campaign and has downloadable fact sheets and other tools that you can use in your community.
JOIN THE WTA GRASROOTS EFFORT!
Our coalition of supporters is growing! We are working with allied organizations who understand the benefits of tourism to Washington’s economy and they are joining us to show legislators that tourism works for ALL of Washington – including outdoor recreation, local governments, and business interests.If you know of an organization in your community that could join our grassroots, please let us know!
2017 WASHINGTON TOURISM SUMMIT AND LOBBY DAY IN OLYMPIA DETAILS
Space is limited, so register here soon!
If you haven’t done so already, book your hotel room today! The Governor Hotel is offering special rates for Summit attendees, please call (360) 352-7700 and mention the WTA Tourism Summit & Lobby Day Group.
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Want to brag about something your destination was recently recognized for? Have news that impacts Washington State tourism? Please add the WTA to your distribution news list! We’re always looking for story ideas for the WTA monthlynewsletter! To submit a story idea, email Diana Thibado atdiana@watourismalliance.com.
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