SEQUIM – Holding out his arms to the sunny sky outside a window, Russ Veenema reminded a state official that we have a bad reputation.
“The image of Washington state is misunderstood,” said Veenema, executive director of the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
People in drier states say to him, “It always rains there. It’s always gray. Why should I go?”
Veenema was one of a few dozen North Olympic Peninsula tourism professionals who gave Washington Tourism Commission managing director Marsha Massey an earful Thursday morning.
The local tourism promoters met Massey at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course banquet room to talk about the state’s tourism marketing plan and Web site, www.ExperienceWA.com.
The site and plan aim to draw travelers to “key thematic areas”: wine and cuisine; arts, culture and heritage; natural beauty; outdoor activities; shopping, relaxing and spectator sports; and scenic byways.
In early 2007 — before the economic meltdown — the state Legislature nearly doubled Washington’s tourism-promotion budget, to $6.8 million.
Now the commission is charged with updating its marketing plan, so Massey and two consultants, Mitch Nichols and David Radcliffe, are crisscrossing the state and listening to people like Veenema, Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes and Port Townsend tourism marketer Christina Pivarnik.
Pivarnik pointed out that the boating community, with its kayaking and bird- and whale-watching trips, was left off the state’s list of attractions.
Puget Sound and the Salish Sea are great blessings, she said.
Then there’s the enormous Sequim Lavender Festival, noted its director, Scott Nagel.
Agri-tourism – exploring working farms — is one of Washington’s major draws, yet he said it’s not listed under “things to do” on ExperienceWA.com.
“I believe it’s under ‘wine and culinary,'” Massey replied.
That’s “confusing,” said Nagel, that the Lavender Festival has enjoyed healthy attendance thanks to Pacific Northwest residents’ propensity to take affordable “staycations.”
“We’re misunderstood on how nice it is on a year-round basis,” Veenema added.
“Here it is, the middle of February,” and people are out golfing, with no raindrops to dodge.
Veenema also wants to see more promotion of the Olympic Discovery Trail, a hiking-cycling-horseback-riding trail with legs in Port Townsend, Sequim, Port Angeles.
Another green-tourism idea came from Charlie Comstock of Victoria Express: an exploration of Western Washington purely via public transportation, as in buses and ferries.
And it won’t be long now until a gigantic “unique experience” converges on greater Port Angeles.
“The largest dam removal ever,” said Maynes, “is going to happen next year,” when the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams are taken out.
This river-ecosystem restoration project, a joining of Olympic National Park with numerous local and federal partners, will dwarf all others across the national park system.
Radcliffe, for his part, acknowledged the Olympic Peninsula has ample attractions, many of which aren’t well-known outside Washington state.
Promoting them “is going to fall on the destination,” he said.
The state Tourism Commission prints 350,000 copies of its travel planner and maintains the ExperienceWA.com site, but those tend to spotlight the higher-profile activities, such as Twilight book- and movie-inspired touring.
Nichols also noted that 2009 was a tough year, with visitor spending down 7.9 percent in Washington state.
In hopes of freshening the state’s tourism marketing efforts, the consultants invited industry professionals to send in their ideas before the plan is finalized in late March.
Nichols can be reached via mitch@nicholstourism group.com, while Radcliffe’s address is dave@dave radcliffe.com.
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladaily news.com.
