Plans were made. Committees were formed. And everyone wondered what Washington state might gain from a peripheral seat to the Vancouver Olympics.
Nada. Zilch. That’s what.
At least, that’s how things are looking so far. State tourism officials are still holding out hope that a post-Olympic gush of tourists could spill over the Canadian border.
The state’s tourism dearth isn’t shocking. Long after plans were made years ago to accommodate Vancouver-bound visitors, it became apparent they weren’t going to stop on their way north.
Not in Snohomish County, and probably not farther north, either.
Hoteliers have been reporting lackluster bookings, and tourism destinations aren’t seeing an uptick in foreign visitors.
The Tulalip Resort Casino was one of a few destinations in Snohomish County that attempted to cash in on the Olympic frenzy, promoting an Olympic getaway package aimed at capturing Canadians fleeing the Vancouver area as it filled up with tourists.
A spokeswoman for the resort said the special offer was canceled when booking levels showed there wasn’t enough interest in the several-night package.
Most hotels in the Puget Sound region decided to skip the promotional offers altogether, expecting a weak return on any investment.
“This is not a surprise,” said Amy Spain, executive director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau.
Numbers from CoSport, the official ticket seller for the Olympics, showed that early ticket sales had a high concentration of Washington residents attending the games. When tourism officials saw that, they knew they wouldn’t be seeing as many overnight stays in communities surrounding Vancouver.
If there is any upside for Washington, it’ll likely come much later — and it won’t be something that’s easy to pinpoint. Cities that host Olympic games typically see an increase in tourism years after the event because of TV exposure.
But it’s not clear if that delayed payoff will be shared with Vancouver’s neighbors south of the border.
“These are Canadian games — not the U.S. games,” Spain said. “But they are highlighting the Pacific Northwest.”
County and state tourism officials made an effort to tap into Vancouver travel early on. The county founded SnoGold, a resource for local businesses looking to make money off the Olympic Games.
It also trained a number of residents on how to make people from other countries more comfortable here.
Now, the county is hoping for spill-over tourism from an expensive post-Olympics tourism campaign planned by Vancouver. Visible signs of the effort are already here, including TV ads featuring celebrities such as Michael J. Fox and Kim Cattrall.
The $38 million tourism campaign is a safeguard against loss, according to Vancouver tourism officials.
In the past, many host cities have missed out on Olympic windfalls, spending billions on preparation for the games and seeing little payoff.
Read Amy Rolph’s small-business blog at www.heraldnet.com/TheStorefront. Contact her at 425-339-3029 or arolph@heraldnet.com.
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