Two years ago, state and local tourism officials buzzed with 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics fever.
Today, amid a global recession, the prospect of immediately capitalizing on the event held in Vancouver, B.C., has dimmed. So tourism officials are putting focus on the long-term rather than the short-term potential of having a major international event just a few hours drive away.
“It’s not going to be this huge influx like we first envisioned,” said Amy Spain, director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau.
The economic downturn and the state budget crunch have factored into Washington’s approach to the Olympics. Tourism officials had thought Western Washington would see a huge influx of both national and international visitors who would fly into Seattle and make their way up to Vancouver. That meant a potential for overnight stays in Snohomish County.
But this summer, ticket sales data changed everyone’s minds.
More than half of the 34,000 tickets sold during the second sales phase were to residents of the Pacific Northwest, reported CoSport, the company managing Olympics ticket sales. That fact changed the way officials in Washington viewed the Olympics and the type of tourism that would be generated initially for counties.
“That further adjusted our expectations,” Spain said.
It’s unlikely that there will be many overnight stays generated from Olympics travel. Restaurants and gas stations in the county, however, should expect to see a boost in sales as travelers make stops along their way to the Games. Still, it’s difficult to predict whether even that will come true, Spain said.
“I don’t know that we’ll have a real visible impact,” she said.
The county’s real hope for an immediate benefit from the Olympics is from Canadians fleeing from the hectic rush of visitors into their home province. Canadians already have proven to be big spenders in Snohomish County, compared with tourists from other locations, Spain said. Our friendly neighbors to the north outspend other tourists by a margin of 2-1.
Some businesses in the county already have put together promotions to lure the Canadians south. The Tulalip Resort and Casino has a variety of lodging packages it’s offering to Canadians. Spain has suggested that other hotels in the area do the same.
Several spots in Snohomish and Island counties are featured on the state’s Web page geared at enticing Canadians to Washington during the Olympics. A featured trip called “food to warm the soul” suggests stops on Whidbey Island and San Juan Island. Another, dubbed “towns to try,” steers Canadians to Everett and Edmonds, as well as Bremerton and Bellingham.
But both county and state tourism efforts will be directed toward promoting the region for return visits. It’s a strategy that has paid off for other states that have neighbored an Olympics site, said Sandy Ward, who serves as state tourism coordinator. When Utah hosted the Winter Olympics, its neighbor to the north, Idaho, captured both people escaping Utah for the Games and return visitors who heard about Idaho either while attending or while watching the Olympics on TV.
Snohomish County and Washington state are competing against Canada when it comes to winning tourism long term. Both are directing a lot of effort and money online, trying to ensure Washington and Snohomish County get appropriate play when potential visitors search the Web for Olympics information.
The county and the state are reaching out to international media, trying to get journalists interested in profiling the people and places of Washington state. Spain has been in contact with the Vancouver media in an effort to drum up interest in the county’s attractions. The county also will take out advertisements in the newspapers as the Games get under way.
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