ITEM NO: 6n supp
DATE OF MEETING: December 10, 2019

Tourism Development

2020 Tourism Marketing
Support Program

Advancing Tourism Partnerships
• Request Commission authorization for the
Executive Director to execute contract
agreements and implement the 2020
Tourism Marketing Support Program in an
amount not to exceed $200,000.
Promoting Use of Port Facilities and Terminals
2

Leveraging Tourism Partnerships
•

•

Tourism partnership grant
program advances statewide
tourism and use of Port facilities
Program producing good results
and building effective
partnerships across Washington
- Fifth year of Tourism Marketing
Support Program
- Increasing visitors and visitor
expenditures
- Smaller organizations are VERY
appreciative

Increasing visitors to Seattle and Washington state
3

Statewide Impact and Participation
King County

8

Eastern WA

7

Olympic-Kitsap Pen.

5

NW WA & Islands

4

Southwest WA

4

Pierce County

2

Statewide

1

Program Leverages Partnerships Across Washington State

Marketing Partnership Generates Results
▪ Media Visits and
Familiarization Tours
▪ Online Digital Campaigns
▪ Events/Cultural Attractions
▪ Trade Shows/Sales Missions
▪ Eco/Sustainable Tourism

Advancing this region as a leading tourism destination and business gateway
5

Timeline
Dates

Activity

December

Announce & release the program

January 9th

Orientation session

February 7th

Application submittal deadline

February 18

Review committee selection process

February 19

Notification of recipients & non-recipients

February - March

Complete Agreements

March - December

Recipients conduct marketing projects

Have Contracts in Place with Partners by April 1st
6

APPENDIX

7

Media Visits &
Familiarization Tours
▪ 84 appointments made with travel
writers influencers at media shows
▪ Hosted 9 journalists, 4 scheduled in
2020 on familiarization tours
▪ Earned media value in 18 and 19
$150,000
▪ Estimated Media value for 2020
$71,000
Media coverage for Washington state
8

Online Digital Campaigns
Port of Walla Walla ran online digital
campaign promoting air travel (via
Sea-Tac ) to targeted markets in the
West Coast
•
•
•

4.3 million impressions
3,160 flight searches
392 flight confirmations to Walla Walla

Increasing awareness and air travel via online campaign
9

Event / Cultural Attractions
• MOHAI advertised Seattle Style
Show Exhibit
• 130% increase in website
visitation over same period
• Increased out of state visitation
by 11%

• Additional tourism spending
Offseason travel and related visitor expenditures
10

Trade Shows / Sales Missions
• Additional hotel capacity for
Tacoma
• Objective to increase national
meetings and conventions
• Generate more air traffic to
Seattle Tacoma Airport

Travel & Meeting shows generate more visitors and expenditures
11

Special Emphasis: Eco/Sustainable Tourism
26 recipients engaged in
projects involving:
•
•
•
•

Eco/Sustainable
Cultural/Historical attractions
Outdoor/Nature
Promotion of public lands and
waters

Assisting environmental and cultural oriented organizations
12