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Lt. Governor’s
committee to look at
innovation in
state tourism industry
WALLA WALLA - A
panel of legislators chaired by Lt. Gov.
Brad Owen will learn Tuesday how
Washington’s tourism industry is
stepping up to the challenge of
promoting the state after losing the
state’s tourism office to budget cuts a
year ago.
The 14-member
Legislative Committee on Economic
Development and International Relations
(LCEDIR) meets at 9 a.m. June 26 at
the Center for Enology and Viticulture
at Walla Walla Community College. The
meeting topic is: “Tourism
in Washington State during a Budget
Crisis Era: How the Private Sector and
Local Communities are Innovating and
Coordinating Tourism Strategies.”
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| Vineyards in
the Walla Walla area have become
a part of the tourist draw
(Image courtesy of the
Walla Walla Valley Wine Region) |
“We are fortunate to live in a state
with an abundance of natural assets in
our splendid mountains and waterways,
and many remarkable man-made
attractions,” Lt. Gov. Owen said. “Our
committee wants to find out more about
some new private sector partnerships
that were formed to bring visitors into
our state, as well as encourage our own
residents to vacation here. We also want
to know about innovative strategies they
are using to draw visitors, both locally
and regionally.”
The committee will
hear from tourism officials representing
several Washington communities that have
taken innovative approaches to drawing
tourists, such as Leavenworth, the
Kitsap Peninsula, San Juan Islands,
Walla Walla, Seattle and Spokane.
It will also hear about regional
and statewide efforts from groups like
the
Washington Tourism Alliance, the
Washington Lodging Association and
the
Washington State Destination Marketing
Association, which now coordinate
and brand state marketing and promotion
efforts in lieu of a state-funded
program.
The lieutenant
governor cites Walla Walla as an example
of an area that has successfully found
new opportunities in tourism, due to the
growth of the wine industry and
collaborative efforts between government
and local associations.
A luncheon speaker
will talk about potential economic
development opportunities for Washington
being created by the current boom in oil
production in North Dakota.
State senators who serve on LCEDIR
include
Jerome Delvin,
Tracey Eide,
Mike Hewitt,
Derek Kilmer,
Jim Kastama
and
Cheryl Pflug,
with
Senator Paull Shin
as an alternate. House members on the
committee are representatives
Richard DeBolt,
Bob Hasegawa,
Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney,
Tim Probst,
Norma Smith
and
J.T. Wilcox.
Local legislators have also been invited
to attend.
Walla
Walla
Community
College’s
Enology
and
Viticulture
Building
is
at
3020
E
Isaacs Ave.
The meeting is in Room
1608.
The session will be available in audio
format only
on TVW
within a few days after the session, and
speaker presentations will be on the
lieutenant governor’s web site.
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