SEATTLE – The Port of Seattle today announced recipients of 18 grants to support tourism across Washington state, for the second year in a row. The grants will fund $150,000 in projects, from websites and advertising to booths at travel trade shows. The grants must be matched by the organization and used for publicizing and attracting visitors to their destinations. This year, grant recipients are committing nearly $100,000 worth of matching funds.
“Increasing the number of tourists to Washington means more jobs for our region, so the Port of Seattle is partnering with communities to help grow tourism,” said Commissioner John Creighton. “More people tasting wine in Walla Walla or beer in Bellingham, hiking on Mount Rainier or kayaking in the San Juan Islands, or visiting a Boeing plant or the historic Hanford B reactor is good for jobs everywhere in Washington.”
With its grant, the Cascade Loop will use their funds to support efforts to launch and promote an international marketing campaign specifically marketing to potential British travelers interested in outdoor adventures and the North Cascades National Park.
“The Port of Seattle’s tourism marketing support allows us to expand the number of international travelers and increase visitation to north, central and eastern Washington,” said Annette Pitts, Executive Director of the Cascade Loop Association. “We are very appreciative of their collaborative approach to aiding destination marketing organizations with limited funding.”
The Port of Seattle has been encouraging tourists to extend their visits to the region by highlighting places across the state that offer interesting experiences. One goal is to entice some of the nearly one million annual Alaskan cruise passengers to “cruise and stay,” adding a few days on either end of their cruise to sightsee in Washington.
2017 Marketing Support Program Recipients
Anacortes Chamber of Commerce
$5,000
Anacortes will host additional travel media and social media influencers from beyond the Pacific Northwest to experience their city and surrounding unique visitor destinations.
Ballard Alliance
$10,000
Ballard will implement a digital advertising campaign to attract and increase non-resident travel related expenditures including Fishermen’s Terminal and Shilsole Bay Marina.
Cascade Loop Association
$10,000
Cascade Loop will use the funds to support their efforts to launch and promote an international marketing campaign specifically marketing to potential British travelers interested in outdoor adventures and the North Cascades National Park.
Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA)
$4,448
CIDBIA will run a collaborative advertising campaign that impacts visitors using light rail from Sea-Tac Airport promoting Chinatown-International district to travelers coming to Seattle.
Fort Worden Public Development Authority
$8,000
The organization’s goal is to increase the number of international visitors staying at Fort Worden by increasing bookings via international tour operators. Their plans include hosting tour operators in Port Townsend and Fort Worden thereby demonstrating the unique travel destination aspects of the area.
Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)
$10,000
GSBA will conduct a digital marketing campaign in both LGBT and mainstream travel and family publications to target LGBT families living outside the Pacific Northwest, generating travel to Washington.
Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau
$8,000
Long Beach will create a unique “360” degree destination video for use on their travel website and in various destination marketing efforts.
Port of Bellingham
$10,000
Bellingham community will market the area as an outdoor recreation base and a growing reputation as a premier craft beer destination. The promotion effort will include marketing air travel to Bellingham via Sea-Tac Airport and participation in a travel / trade show in Denver, Colorado.
Port of Edmonds
$10,000
In concert with other travel-related organizations, the Port of Edmonds will develop an online media campaign including video advertising promoting whale watching opportunities from Edmonds.
Puget Sound Attractions Council
$5,500
Puget Sound Attractions Council will participate in an international tour operator travel trade show promoting their attractions to sellers of travel to the Pacific Northwest. They will also host additional travel media and social media influencers from beyond the Pacific Northwest to experience their city and surrounding unique visitor destinations.
Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)
$10,000
Marketing effort is to increase international and out of state visitors to SIFF by up to five percent over the previous year. The promotion efforts will include inflight and film trade print advertising, online website marketing and hotel retail sales activity.
Skamania County Chamber of Commerce
$5,952
Skamania County will develop a stronger travel related website that will increase awareness and visitation to this area and other outdoor recreation parks including Mt. St. Helens.
Starfire
$6,000
Starfire Sports will market and promote tournament events and dates to traveling teams from outside of Washington in states such as Alaska and Hawaii.
Visit Walla Walla and Port of Walla Walla
$10,000
Visit Walla Walla will conduct digital advertising and social media campaigns in Denver, Sacramento and Phoenix that will generate interest and awareness and increase travelers to the Pacific Northwest promoting air travel to Walla Walla via Sea-Tac Airport.
Whidbey and Camano Islands Tourism
$10,000
Whidbey and Camano Islands plans to create new online information in five foreign languages, participate in international travel trade shows and host international travel writers. The specific goal is to increase international visitation to this great part of Washington state.
Wintergrass Music Festival
$10,000
The music festival will advertise their winter event regionally, nationally, and internationally through a variety of print and online marketing efforts. The focus of the actions will be to increase nonresident attendees to the event.
White Pass Scenic Byway
$10,000
A collaborative effort to reach visitors outside of Washington seeking leisure travel recreation adventures by promoting White Pass Scenic Byway and surrounding areas. Target audience will be reached via strategic digital, social and mobile marketing and selected print advertising.
Yakima Valley Tourism
$7,100
Yakima Valley Tourism will conduct a digital advertising campaign outside of Washington focusing on “Wine Flies Free” and the ease of getting to Yakima via Sea-Tac Airport.
Total Amount for Grant Awardees: $150,000
About the Port of Seattle
Founded in 1911, The Port owns and operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, two cruise ship terminals, one grain terminal, a public cargo terminal, four public marinas, and manages a number of real estate assets for financial return and economic advantage. The port’s operations currently help create nearly 200,000 jobs and $7 billion in wages throughout the region. Over the next 20 years, the port’s “Century Agenda” seeks to create an additional 100,000 jobs through economic growth while becoming the nation’s leading green and energy-efficient port. Learn more at www.portseattle.org.
