Posted on by WaTourismAlliance
THE WTA MOURNS THE LOSS OF DONNA CAPPA
Mike Moe, Associate Director 

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.

TOURISM LEGISLATION STARTING DOWN PATH OF CONSIDERATION AND PASSAGE
Becky Bogard and Kathryn Hedrick

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.

While the bill is not quite final, it is taking shape and should be available very early in the legislative session, which starts January 9. Some of the features of the bill include the following:
  • 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.
Details of the legislation are being circulated among legislators for final approval before introducing the bill. For a more complete discussion of the details, please click here. As with any legislation, it will be discussed in committees and changes may be considered. Hopefully there will be something to start implementing when the 2017 legislature ends.
With the start of the new legislature, there are changes in committee structures that will impact consideration of this legislation. In the Senate, Sen. Judy Warnick (R., Moses Lake) will chair the Agriculture, Water, Trade and Economic Development Committee. This will be the initial committee of consideration in the Senate. The legislation will also have to be considered by the Senate Ways and Means Committee. That committee has a new chair, Sen. John Braun (R., Chehalis).
In the House, the bill will be referred to the House Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee. Rep. Cindy Ryu (D., Shoreline) is the chair and one of the task force participants. The legislation will then be considered by the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Rep. Timm Ormsby (D., Spokane).

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! 

Barbara Smith, Harris & Smith Public Affairs

The Washington Legislature begins its session in just a few weeks so the WTA Grassroots campaign is kicking into high gear!
We need strong advocates for the 2017 tourism marketing program proposal in every legislative district across Washington. Please take the time to fill out the form on the WTA website www.watourismalliance.com/tourismworks. It will ensure you are receiving up to date information about the grassroots efforts. We will provide you with everything you need to contact your legislator and support the new proposal.

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!

If you missed the recent WTA Grassroots Webinar, you can watch the entire program when it is convenient for you. The video is posted on the WTA YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOqfh6joACk. Stay tuned for information about future webinars in early January.
We hope we can count on your support, enthusiasm and energy to help us win big in the 2017 session.

2017 WASHINGTON TOURISM SUMMIT AND LOBBY DAY IN OLYMPIA DETAILS

Join us for a day of tourism advocacy focused on WTA efforts to secure long-term funding for Washington State tourism marketing and promotion. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to offer the event free of charge!

Our exciting morning program includes a keynote address from Roger Dow, an interactive panel with legislators from the Tourism Working Group, and more information about our grassroots efforts. During the afternoon we will be moving to the hill to share our message with legislators, followed by an evening reception at the Governor Hotel.

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.

We look forward to seeing you in Olympia!

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

 

SUBMIT YOUR STORIES

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.

WTA WELCOMES NOVEMBER MEMBERS