2012 Summit Information
Thank you for attending the 2012 WTA Summit on April 5, 2012 at the Hilton Airport Complex!
For a copy of the Executive Director PowerPoint Presentation, click below:
WTA Summit Presentation
For a copy of the attendee list, click below:
Summit Attendees 2012
Please complete our survey:
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Washington Tourism Alliance Launches First Online Fundraiser
Win an All-Inclusive Trip to Bellingham and Friday Harbor
SEATTLE – The Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) announced its first online auction at today’s second annual tourism summit. WTA will auction off three weekend packages to Bellingham and the San Juan Islands during the month of April. Each all-inclusive vacation package includes meals, accommodations, and adventures for two people, May 5-7, 2012. All proceeds from this auction support WTA and its mission to advocate, promote, develop and sustain the economic well-being of Washington State’s tourism Industry.
“We’re excited to begin a series of online auction packages that will showcase the diversity of our state while raising funds for the WTA,” said Suzanne Fletcher, WTA Executive Director. “The Bellingham-San Juan package is our first offering.”
Each Bellingham-San Juan Island getaway package is valued at $1,200. They includes an overnight stay and gaming at the Silver Reef Spa-Casino-Hotel; a four-course dinner with wine at Anthony’s Restaurant at Squalicum Harbor; tickets to the Upfront Theatre (live improv theater founded by Ryan Stiles); breakfast at Silver Reef Spa-Casino-Hotel; San Juan Cruises narrated whale watching tour (and lunch) from Bellingham to Friday Harbor; a three-hour zip-lining tour; overnight stay at Friday Harbor House or Lakedale Resort; three course dinner at BLUFF restaurant; breakfast at Friday Harbor House or Lakedale Resort; ferry ride via Washington State Ferry to Anacortes; and a Bellair shuttle back to Bellingham. Winners will also receive a special gift basket of locally made food and sundries (including items from Birchwood Botanicals, Chocolate Necessities, Hammerhead Whole Bean Coffee, and Scratch Desserts). More details can be found here: www.biddingforgood.com/wta.
WTA has developed this mutually beneficial online auction program to support the Washington tourism industry while highlighting destinations across the state. This program includes vacation packages that highlight accommodations, attractions, dining services and experiences that demonstrate the unique qualities of respective regions. The packages will be auctioned off online to the highest bidder to support WTA. During the auction period, each region and its package elements will be highlighted on BiddingforGood.com, which boasts an audience of some 260,000 shoppers worldwide. In addition, the packages will be promoted through WTA’s social media resources, including WTA’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feed, as well as e-mailed to WTA’s mailing list.
For more information, contact Meagan McGuire at (206) 768-7104 or via email at MMcGuire@museumofflight.org.
About the Washington Tourism Alliance
The Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) is a 501[c]6 organization established by industry stakeholders with the sole mission of sustaining Washington State destination tourism marketing. The WTA procures and administers funds for state destination tourism marketing activities and creates and implements a strategic statewide destination marketing plan. www.watourismalliance.com.
SEATTLE –Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) announced today the release of the 2012 official Washington State Visitors’ Guide. The guide is produced through a strategic partnership with WTA, the Washington Lodging Association (WLA) and SagaCity Media Inc.
The new print guide is linked to www.experiencewa.com, the official state tourism web site. The goal of the publishing partners is to strengthen these two critical marketing platforms and help expand the benefits of tourism throughout our state.
The 2012 edition marks the 13th annual publication of the guide. This year, with increased demand, circulation has been increased to 375,000 copies, with readership of nearly one million. Some 65,000 copies will be direct mailed to Seattle Met and Portland Monthly magazine subscribers, and other copies will be featured at visitor centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington State and Vancouver, B.C. The guide will also be prominently displayed on newsstands and checkout counters at Barnes & Noble, QFC and Whole Foods.
Prospective travelers will be able to read and order copies of the visitors’ guide online at www.experiencewa.com and www.StayinWashington.com, the WLA’s consumer web site. Travelers will also be able to access versions of the guide that are optimized for iPads, android tablets and smart phones.
The 2012 official Washington State Visitors Guide features regional maps, insider travel trips, itinerary suggestions and contact information for an array of standout local businesses and attractions. This year’s guide features three unique covers to underscore the beauty and breadth of Washington State visitor experiences.
Washington State Visitors' Guide Cover Artwork
About the Washington Tourism Alliance
The WTA is a 501[c]6 organization with a mission to advocate, promote, develop and sustain the economic well being of the Washington tourism industry. The WTA was established by industry stakeholders with the sole mission of sustaining Washington State destination tourism marketing. The WTA procures and administers funds for state destination tourism marketing activities and creates and implements a strategic statewide destination marketing plan. Visit www.watourismalliance.com to learn more.
About the Washington Lodging Association
The Washington Lodging Association (WLA) is the trade and professional association for Washington State’s lodging industry. Founded in 1920, it is dedicated to strengthening the hospitality industry by working towards a favorable legislative and regulatory environment, providing valuable programming and services to its members, and by promoting Washington as a tourist destination.
About SagaCity Media Inc.
SagaCity Media Inc is a multimedia company that publishes more than two dozen editorial and custom magazines in the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain West. With its proprietary titles and its projects for outside clients, SagaCity provides an authorative voice that fosters community and sets ambitious standards in industries ranging from tourism to bridal to golf. The creative development and delivery of quality content are also propelling growth in SagaCity’s evolving digital media business.
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State Tourism Summit Takes Place Today, Industry Celebrates Milestone
Washington Tourism Alliance Celebrates its First Year of Operation,
Convenes Industry to Discuss the Future of State Tourism Marketing,
President of U.S. Travel Association Delivers Keynote Address
SEATTLE– The Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) will host a state Tourism Summit inSeattletoday to present its first-year accomplishments and to engage the tourism industry in its future direction. Some 400 Industry stakeholders from hotels, airlines, cruise lines, tour companies, restaurants and convention and visitor bureaus will attend. National tourism industry leaders will speak of President Obama’s recent executive order to develop a first-ever national strategy on tourism, and will addressWashington’s challenges as the only state in the union without a state-funded tourism program.
One year after Governor Gregoire’s announcement that the state tourism office would close, this summit will feature a presentation by the WTA of its first-year destination marketing activities and discussion of possible solutions for long-term sustainable funding. A keynote address will be given by Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, and representatives of BrandUSA, the recently inaugurated U.S.corporation dedicated to travel promotion.
“Tourism promotion is at a critical juncture inWashington,D.C.and here inWashingtonState,” said Suzanne Fletcher, WTA Executive Director. “We’re encouraged by long-overdue progress at the national level, but here at home we have an incredible amount of work to do.Washingtonis the only state in theU.S.without a state-supported tourism program, so WTA’s success is inextricably bound by the combined commitment of our private sector industry, ports, cities and corporate sponsors.”
Washington’s primary competing states all boast dramatically larger tourism marketing budgets, ranging between $10 and $60 million. WTA began work with a budget of some $300,000 last July when the state tourism office closed, and has since been working to raise funds through membership and corporate sponsorships.
WashingtonStatetourism leaders understand how quicklyWashingtonStatecould be out-paced. “We know from national examples that tourism market share declines very quickly with the loss of tourism marketing programs,” said Fletcher. “Coloradoclosed its tourism office in the 1990s and suffered immediate declines in tourism market share that did not rebound for nearly a decade.”
Much is at stake. Tourism is the state’s fourth-largest industry according to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) produced, following software, aerospace and agriculture and food. Figures released last month by WTA indicate that visitors toWashingtonStatespent $16.4 billion and generated nearly $1 billion in local and state tax revenues in 2011. Travel and tourism supported more than 150,000, jobs and generated earnings (payroll) of $4.5 million.
The tourism summit will be held at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center Emerald Room) in SeaTac on April 5. Registration opens at 7 a.m. and the program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
About the Washington Tourism Alliance
The Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) is a 501[c]6 organization established by industry stakeholders with the sole mission of sustaining WashingtonStatedestination tourism marketing. The WTA procures and administers funds for state destination tourism marketing activities and creates and implements a strategic statewide destination marketing plan. www.watourismalliance.com
Media Contact:
David Blandford
c: (206) 713-8314
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STATE TOURISM SUMMIT ANNOUNCED
Washington Tourism Alliance Convenes Industry to Discuss the Future of State Tourism Marketing
SEATTLE– The Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) will host its second, statewide Tourism Summit in Seattle on April 5 to present its accomplishments and to engage the tourism industry in its future direction. Industry stakeholders are encouraged to register for the summit.
One year after Governor Gregoire’s announcement that the state tourism office would close, the WTA will convene tourism professionals from all corners of the state. Attendees will represent destination marketing organizations, hotels, visitor attractions, tour and transportation companies, restaurants, retail establishments, meeting venues and other private and public sector organizations. (more…)
The following is an update from the American Recreation Coalition on the status of a new Surface Transportation Bill as it relates to the America’s Byways program and the program’s inclusion in a new bill.
The Senate began its floor consideration of MAP-21, February 9, 2012. There will be extensive debate and amendments on the legislation, which would establish a two year national surface transportation program, far shorter than the normal 5-6 year program. The Senate version is similar in spending to the House version for those two years, but is significantly different in programs, length and funding strategy.
For the National Scenic Byways Program, MAP-21contains major disappointments. It discontinues the technical assistance program operated under a cooperative agreement by the America’s Byways Resource Center. It also eliminates any funding set-aside for a national competitive grant program. Further, it authorizes states to use funding under the general Transportation Mobility Program for byways “projects,” but not programs – and all byways projects must now compete with the full range of eligible transportation projects. However, the authority to designate byways and provide support for the National Scenic Byways Program is unchanged.
The House measure, which was approved after an acrimonious full-committee mark-up early in the morning on February 3, is far worse. HR 7 repeals the National Scenic Byways Program – designation, funding and technical assistance. The status of the current remarkable collection of 150 All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways would be very uncertain, just as the nation is recognizing the value of parks, byways and other portions of the Great Outdoors to the economy, especially in growing international tourism and its promise of jobs.
It is vital for byways program leaders and stakeholders to do two things:
1) Act immediately to contact members of the US Senate and urge each Senator to speak out in favor of scenic byways during the floor debate, and to engage the floor managers of the bill (Majority and Minority) in recorded discussions to underscore that MAP-21 envisions a continuation of the National Scenic Byways Program. Deadline: February 14.
2) Act within 10 days to contact members of the US House and urge each to take actions to remove the repeal of the National Scenic Byways Program from HR 7. Note that stripped of the grant and America’s Byways Resources Center provisions, the continuation of the program will be virtually cost-free. Deadline: February 20.
Dean Runyan Associates prepared this study for the Washington Tourism Alliance. Dean Runyan Associates has specialized in research and planning services for the travel, tourism, and recreation industry since 1984. With respect to economic impact analysis, the firm developed and currently maintains the Regional Travel Impact Model (RTIM), a proprietary computer model for analyzing travel economic impacts at the state, regional, and local level. Dean Runyan Associates also has extensive experience in project feasibility analysis, market evaluation, survey research, and travel and tourism planning.
The purpose of this study is to document the economic significance of the travel industry in Washington state from 1991-2011. The estimates for 2011 are preliminary and subject to revision. These findings show the level of travel spending by those traveling to and through the state and the impact this spending has on the economy in terms of earnings, employment, and tax revenue. Other estimates provided in this report include overnight visitor volume, average daily spending by type of visitor, travel industry gross domestic product and comparisons with other export-oriented industries in Washington State.
Special thanks are due to Suzanne Fletcher, Executive Director of the Washington Tourism Alliance.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides detailed statewide travel impact estimates for Washington from 1991 to 2011 and estimates of U.S. travel, derived primarily from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts. All estimates for 2011 are preliminary.
The Washington State travel industry continued to show modest improvement in 2011, following the steep decline in travel in 2009 in the state and the nation. While most indicators of travel to Washington destinations are up, the travel industry is still not performing at the level prior to the recession. In general, the performance of the Washington State travel industry reflects that of the larger U.S.
