COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                      Item No.           11a 
BRIEFING ITEM                           Date of Meeting          July 26, 2022 
DATE:    7/8/2022 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Dave McFadden, Managing Director, Economic Development 
Nick Leonti, Director, Tourism Development 
David Blandford, Executive Director, State of Washington Tourism 
SUBJECT:  Tourism Recovery Initiative Summary Briefing 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In July 2020 the Port of Seattle Commission approved a motion that allocated $1.5 million to support tourism
promotion vital to the Port and region’s economic sustainability, and to assist in a COVID-19 tourism
recovery plan. The Port entered into an agreement with the Washington Tourism Alliance (which
subsequently assumed the dba State of Washington Tourism (SWT) and is referred to as such hereinafter),
the 501c6 nonprofit organization serving as the state’s official destination marketing organization. 
Situation Analysis 
In mid-2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred catastrophic losses for the national travel and tourism
industry. Domestic tourism volume fell more than 40 percent while international inbound visitor volume
dropped 75 percent. The prolonged depressed level of spending caused losses of more than $40 billion in
federal, state, and local tax revenue and the leisure and hospitality employment sector lost more than 40
percent of jobs. 
At the start of the pandemic in early 2020, State of Washington Tourism (SWT) had just begun to rebuild a
statewide tourism marketing program following the enabling legislation signed by Governor Jay Inslee. The
legislation established SWT as the official destination marketing organization for Washington State, capping
many years of industry advocacy and interim investment. A decade since the closure of the state tourism
office, the prospect for SWT in this first stage of develop was to recreate tourism assets and essential
marketing programs and coalesce the statewide industry in partnership and promotion to effectively “rebuild”
state tourism and maximize economic impact. 
The enabling legislation established a private-public 2:1 matching fund program with a cap of $1.5 million in
state general funds available each year. This funding, while modest, was seminal re-starting a statewide
tourism program after a ten-year absence from the marketplace. 
However, the COVID-19 crisis presented an additional and significant funding hurdle: emergency funding for
a statewide tourism recovery.

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

Contract and Scope of Work 
The Port and State of Washington Tourism agreed to work cooperatively to market Washington as a
destination for travelers, working together and coordinating efforts in order to maximize benefits from
respective resources invested in this tourism recovery program. Additionally, it was agreed that State of
Washington Tourism would deploy a travel advocacy campaign and work with the Port and tourism industry
to amplify the importance of traveling again and traveling in a responsible manner. 

WASHINGTON TOURISM ALLIANCE PROGRAM REPORT 
1. Strategy and Communications 
• Monthly strategy meetings with partner organizations 
• Quarterly executive summaries deliver to Port on marketing, trade and development activities 
2. Paid Destination Advertising Campaign to Regenerate North American Air Markets 
• Created strategic consumer marketing plan for April 2021-April 2022 
• Digital placements 
• Regional/feeder market campaign 
• Fully integrated campaign running in select U.S. and Canadian air markets 
• Expedia Advertising Partnership 
o   A partnership with Expedia boosted the presence of Washington with consumer travelers
already searching for and booking travel. Display ads throughout Expedia properties drove
customers to a custom landing page that provided additional Washington inspiration for 
seasonally targeted regions of the state. 
• Explore Washington’s Backyard Campaign 
o   The Explore Washington’s Backyard  summer 2021 marketing campaign encouraged
regional travelers to explore natural assets throughout the state through an incentivized
passport program and itineraries built around state scenic byways. Paid social media 
promoted Facebook and Instagram posts launched in June 2021 to drive travelers to
campaign landing pages and encourage downloads of the campaign’s mobile passports. 
(see Appendix item #1 for performance metrics) 
• True to Nature Advertising Campaign 
o   State of Washington Tourism (SWT) deployed a $1.6 million consumer visitor campaign 
January through June 2022. This fully integrated campaign was themed to True to Nature
and included video and digital and social components plus a partner toolkit. Campaign
strategy focused on building on awareness and interest in all of the diverse visitor
experiences that can be enjoyed year-round in the State of Washington with particular 
focus was on increasing shoulder-season and off-season visitation. (See Appendix item #2
for performance metrics) 
3. Travel Publicity Campaign 
With the goal stimulating positive earned travel and features media coverage statewide, State of
Washington Tourism retained GreenRubino as its destination PR agency beginning in August 2021.
Ongoing work included but was not limited to: 
• Targeted media pitches to travel and features media in the U.S. and Canada 
• Press release distribution 
• Promotion at top media marketing places 
• Media hosting in Washington destinations

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

• Year-around tracking and reporting of earned media coverage 
• Distribution of media leads to state industry partners 

Hosted Media: 
SWT hosted some 30 travel journalists from April 2021 to April 2022, as part of group press trips and
individually hosted trips, all based on confirmed assignments. Group press trips included sponsorship of
the Travel Bloggers Exchange conference in Tri-Cities in April 2022 for which SWT and the Port helped fund
group press trips to the Olympic Peninsula, Seattle Southside, Spokane, Eastern Washington, the Long 
Beach Peninsula, Bellingham, and other regions. SWT also helped host the visits of media attending the
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in Spokane in May 2022. (See Appendix item #3 for list of media
and resulting placements) 
4. Industry Recovery and Destination Development Plan 
• Created the Destination Development program to promote and assist rural and underserved
communities and businesses throughout the state 
o   Workshops in each of the state’s 10 tourism regions to assess regional needs and products,
share best practices, conduct training, and identify funding needs and strategies. 
o   Comprehensive tourism development workshops, including core and elective courses. The
curriculum included visioning and planning, marketing and communications and active team
development 
o   Creation of low- and no-cost tools, technical assistance, resources, and opportunities for
rural and underserved markets, including consumer website advertising programs for
communities not actively served by DMOs and inclusion in larger marketing campaigns and
social media activities conducted by SWT. 
o   Educational seminars and webinars including the Tourism Skillshop series beginning in 2022 
o   Development  and  promotion  of cross-region assets  and  partnerships,  including  state
agencies and national partners. 
o   SWT served and advised on tourism development for Maritime Washington National
Heritage Area. 
o   Programs and communications that assist in management of visitor flows related to
destination need, seasonality, community sensitivities, public health orders, infrastructure
capacity and development. 
• Developed Rural Tourism Support Program 
o   Vital resource for rural and underserved communities. 
o   Program serves as a model for communities across the state striving for more sustainable 
tourism growth. 
o   Committee of local stakeholders determines key action items, including a 10-year vision for
the evolution of the destination and a better understanding of how regional, national, and 
global travel trends apply locally, with the goal of improving the quality of place for visitors
and residents. 
o   Program applicants must identify tourism as an economic development strategy and intend
to work collaboratively with regional partners as a visitor destination. (See Appendix item
#4 for applicant details and results) 
• Agritourism and DMO Grants for Development & Recovery 
o   Grant programs in partnership with the state departments of agriculture and commerce. 
o   Distributed $1 million in grants to nonprofit destination marketing organizations throughout
Washington and helped administer $2 million in  grants to  agritourism  businesses

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

throughout the state. 
o   Hosted an agritourism webinar in June that attracted over 200 registrants and featured 
nationally renowned experts as speakers. 
• Industry Co-op Research Program 
o   Provided research/analytics to Washington’s tourism industry via a retained firm for
targeted consumer spending, geo-location, and psychographic data to inform marketing
decisions and measure campaign ROI. Program elements include: 
o   Contract with Datafy provides ongoing consumer data and analytics (travel, spending,
demographics, psychographics) for Washington visitors 
o   SWT offers 30 percent discounted subscription to state communities without a DMO; DMOs
are offered a 20 percent discount 
o   Data is used by both SWT and industry members to develop marketing strategies and
campaigns and measure return on investment 
• Destination Management 
o   Partnered with TREAD  (Trails, Recreation, Education, Advocacy, Development) and
Dharma Maps to deploy the new TREAD Map App pilot program that combines a
consumer-facing location-based app with robust, real-time trail and recreational data,
updates, and advisories. 
o   Work began with a summer 2021 pilot program in the Trails and Lakes region of Central 
Washington (Kittitas, Grant, Douglas, Chelan, and Okanagan counties),  which was
experiencing heavy public lands use in the summer season and assistance was needed to
balance the flow of tourism. 
o   Expanded statewide in spring 2022, incorporating participation from various community
sponsors, recreational user groups and state land managers. 
o   App offers real-time updates and advisories to travelers and recreation users as well as 
dispersing them to less frequented recreational destinations, seasons, and days of the
week. 
5. Travel Trade Sales and Promotion 
SWT and the Port worked collaboratively to stimulate new and expanded tour product for Washington
State, targeting tour operators, retail sellers of travel and trade and consumer media in key North
American and overseas markets. 
• Increased consumer sales through retail distribution systems (including travel agents, tour
operators and travel suppliers), working with travel partners and DMOs 
• Promoted the state destination at top industry trade shows and offer partnership promotional
opportunities at top trade shows. (See Appendix item #5 for trade show details) 
• Leveraged  travel  trade  channels,  advertising,  online  webinars,  and  education 
certification programs to build destination awareness 
• Developed state destination package of itineraries 
• Hosted familiarization (FAM) 

London Sales Mission, March 28 through April 1, 2022: 
A delegation from State of Washington Tourism (SWT), the Port of Seattle and Visit Seattle hosted events 
for key tour operator clients and media and a schedule of sales and media calls throughout the city. The
initiative was part of ongoing industry recovery efforts in one of the destination’s seven primary overseas 
markets with the intent to re-engage the British travel trade and stimulate sales and consumer and trade
earned media coverage for the state.

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

• Promoted destination news such as SEA’s new International Arrivals Facility, Seattle Homeport
cruises, Washington wine, outdoor recreation diverse attractions and tours throughout the state, 
as well as SWT’s newly launched destination brand.
• Delegation  participants  included SWT’s  David Blandford and Mike Moe, Port of Seattle
Commissioner Fred Felleman and the Port’s Dave McFadden, Patti Denny and David Yeaworth,
and Visit Seattle’s Liz Johnson. 
• Events included some 130 tour operators and media. 
• A schedule of tour operator sales calls was conducted throughout the city.
• Broadcast media interviews included Skye News Radio, Share Radio, Talking Feature Network and
others with a total combined audience of more than 25 million. 
• The London mission press release was published in Selling Travel, the UK’s leading travel trade
training magazine which is distributed to 26,000 travel trade professionals. 
6. Performance Metrics 
SWT contracted with Tourism Economics and Longwoods International to compile annual statewide tourism 
research reports for 2020 and 2021 (See Appendix item #6 for report details) 
7. Additional Programs 
Direct Consumer Marketing: 
• Direct consumer newsletter re-launched in April 2021 following COVID-19 variants; open rate of
32% (above the industry average) and a clickthrough rate of nearly 3% since re-launch 
Washington State Visitor Guide: 
• 2021 and 2022 editions produced in April of each year 
• 375,000 copies are distributed annually to potential visitors nationwide 
• View online or order print copies: https://www.stateofwatourism.com/guides/ 
Photo/Video Library Development: 
• More than 1,440 photos were added to the library for SWT and partner use to promote tourism
to the state since April 2021 
• Consumer lure and B-roll video was created for 10 state regions: 
1.   Rainier 
2.   Spokane 
3.   North Cascades 
4.   Snoqualmie/Roslyn 
5.   San Juan Islands 
6.   Peninsulas 
7.   Gorge 
8.   Wine Country 
9.   Trails and Lakes 
10. Salish Sea 
Destination Website Redevelopment 
The destination advertising program drove out-of-market consumers to the destination web site,
www.stateofwatourism.com. In conjunction with the new destination brand, SWT developed a new
responsive website with enhanced regional information and trip planning tools and a modern design. The
website serves as a trip planning hub for incoming visitors. Performance metrics include:

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

• 191% increase in pageviews year-to-date June 2022
(532,000 in 2022 vs. 183,000 in 2021) 
• 302% increase in new users in 2022 
• 568% increase in mobile traffic, indicating success of responsive site redesign 
• 211% increase in new page views, indicating paid campaign efforts are driving new potential
visitors through to the website 
• Focus on generating new and more expansive content (city guides, seasonal guides, etc.) to add
more value for visitors 
Social Media Channels: 
• Overall audience since April 2021 up 55% with total engagements up 231% 
• Twitter: +687% 
• Facebook: +8% 
• Instagram: 105% 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
(1)    Presentation slides 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
January 4, 2022 - Port of Seattle Tourism Recovery Initiatives briefing 
February 23, 2021 – Washington Tourism Alliance briefing to Port Commissioners 
December 15, 2020 – Commissioners authorized the Executive Director to approve execution of all
contract agreements for the 2021 Tourism Marketing Support Program
July 28, 2020 – The Commission authorized the Executive Director to execute a $1.5 million joint
marketing agreement with Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) to promote tourism recovery

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

APPENDIX
1.   “Explore Washington “Campaign Performance Metrics: 






2. “True to Nature” Campaign 
Key Ad Campaign Elements: 
• Targeted Consumer: 
The Pathfinder (loves travel, open minded, active, interested in both urban and rural
experiences based on previous persona research) 
• Target Markets: 
Vancouver B.C.*, WA, OR, CA (SF, Palm Springs, Chico, Eureka, Santa Barbara), MT, ID, CO,
AZ 
• Channels: Broadcast + connected TV, digital, social 
Ad Campaign Results: 
• 100 million impressions across media partners 
(Does not yet include broadcast television impressions)
• Drove Significant Web Traffic 
The campaign directly generated more than 250,000 new website sessions. Notably, digital
video placements helped drive significant web traffic

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

Full Campaign website metrics: 
Channel                 Sessions                 New Users               Pageviews 
Display                     101,720                    94,500                     114,694 
Native                    2,379                     1,848                     3,430 
Social                       64,389                      50,695                      69,299 
Video                    49,377                   32,016                   62,848 
Direct (includes on        33,636                     31,120                     38,329 
display partner) 
CTV                     20                       10                       22 
Grand total               217,885                   179,069                   250,293 
Website total             251,521                   210,189                   288,622 
True to Nature Ad Campaign ROI Study: 
SMARI Insights, a respected national marketing research firm, compiled an independent ROI study of the
impacts on visitation and visitor spend from those who viewed campaign media. The True to Nature
advertising effectiveness report, released June 27, indicated: 
• The initial True to Nature campaign influenced approximately $52.7 million in out-of-state
visitor revenues 
• The campaign had an ROI of $33 generated per dollar spent on paid media (33:1 ROI) 
• The campaign reached 41% of travelers in our target markets 
• Ad aware visitors spent more, stayed longer, and did more activities during their trips 
• Millennials, African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians/Pacific
Islanders, and people with children in the home were more aware of the advertising 
• 77% of ad award travelers in target markets researched more information on visiting the
State of Washington vs. 49% of unaware travelers 
Deliverables for Paid Advertising Campaign/Program: 
A.  Quarterly reports recapped advertising program and campaign distribution channels and
impressions/influence. 
Complete as noted above. 
B.   Report showing evidence of progress toward the acquisition of 20 million nonresidents of
Washington state in North America reached in 2021 & 2022. 
According to tabulations by Tourism Economics, a respected national travel and tourism
research firm, 47% or 44 million of the total domestic visitor volume in Washington State
is non-resident. The breakout was compiled from survey and other statistical data
assembled in the creation of Economic Impacts of Tourism in Washington for the calendar
year of 2021. 
C.   Port of Seattle Spotlight Advertising

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

Consumer ads focusing on responsible travel in Washington were created and deployed in 
the Port’s Spotlight advertising program. 
3. Travel Publicity Campaign Details 
Individual journalists hosted included but is not limited to: 
• Kellee Edwards, “Kellee Set Go!,” Travel Channel 
• Emma Banks, freelance, Thrillist 
• Keith Hanson, Passport magazine 
• Nils Bernstein, Food Editor, Wine Enthusiast 
• Kat Kinsman, Senior Editor, Food & Wine 
• Nisreene Atassi, “Out Travel The System” podcast 
• Jenne Peters, freelance travel journalist 
• Heather Greenwood Davis, travel journalist and on-air storyteller, National Geographic 
• Jill Robinson, travel journalist/freelancer 
• Sally Braley, Managing Editor, Northstar Meetings Group 
• JT Long, Editorial Director, Smart Meetings 
• Dana E. Givens, freelance, Fodor’s Food & Wine, Skift, Business Insider 
• Kelsey Ogletree, freelance, Travel + Leisure, founder of Pitchcraft 
• Travis Levius, freelance, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, AFAR 
• William O’Connor, The Daily Beast 
• Megan Spurrell, Senior Editor, Conde Nast Traveler 
• Jennifer Barger, Senior Editor, National Geographic 
• Melanie Lieberman, Global Features Editor, The Points Guy 
• Daniel Schiffler, New York Times “52 Best Places” 
• Kate Loweth, Tiny Beans 
• Liza Weisstuch, Washington Post 
• Valerie Stimac, Valise and Valerie 
• Lauren Kramer, Open Road Driver 
• Megan Spunnell, Conde Nast Traveler 
• Malik Coherel, Quebecor 
Deliverables for Destination Publicity Program: 
• Submitted quarterly reports identifying the number of travel media, journalists, and 
influencers SWT established communications with. 
• 1,074 media engagements including story pitches, media visits, media assistance (photos,
research, quotes, et al), media marketplace interactions and more (does not include first
quarter of contract). 
• Conducted 10 travel media related familiarization tours. 
• Total media impressions of secured coverage (direct SWT PR agency engagement) was
164,385,976.




COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

• Additionally, the agency, GreenRubino, evaluates media coverage with the highly respected 
Barcelona Principles scorecard. Scores of a maximum 20 points are derived from the following
equation: Quality (1-10) + Visibility (1-10) = BP Score (max score of 20): 
o   Quality is measured and evaluated on content, writing, photography, links, sentiment,
compression, and accuracy. 
o   Visibility is measured and evaluated based on media tier, publication type, reach,
engagement, reputation of outlet, platform, and target audience. 
• GreenRubino’s median BP score for this project period was: 17.58 out of 20. 
• From direct media engagements since August 2021 when SWT’s retained PR agency began work 
(below), the ten media outlets with the largest monthly online viewership surpass $2.5 million in
combined earned media value. These outlets include: Sunset; Wall Street Journal; Travel + Leisure;
Conde Nast Traveler; National Geographic; Buzzfeed; Thrillist; USA Today; Newsbreak; and 
Geekwire. It should be noted that tabulating the total earned media dollar value for a destination is
increasingly challenging amid the dynamic media landscape and many destinations have moved
away from it as a reliable measurement, favoring instead raw or direct impressions and/or the
Barcelona Principles. However, the earned media placements of these ten media outlets can be
isolated by equivalent advertising dollar value to illustrate the success of the PR program. 
Published or broadcasted coverage resulting from SWT media relations efforts included, but is not
limited to: 

Publication, Format, Date    Title + Link                                                Reach/Readers
hip 
Travel Lemming (online) 
September 22, 2021         “33 Best Things to Do in Washington State (By a Local!)”      85,700 
Thrillist (online)* 
September 22, 2021         “Perfect Fall Road Trips for When You Need to Escape       10,400,000 
Seattle” 
Seattle PI (online)* 
September 25, 2021         “4 small towns to visit this fall in Washington”              1,200,000 
AFAR (online)* 
"Why Edison, Washington, Is the Food- and Art-Filled 
October 5, 2021             Getaway You Need"                                         1,680,000 
Buzzfeed (online) 
"13 Fun-Filled US Getaways To Take During The Fall (And 
October 3, 2021             What To Do Once You Get There)"                          110,000,000 
Red Tricycle (online) 
October 7, 2021             "11 Easy Road Trips to Take This Fall"                        1,300,000





COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

Mike's Road Trip (online) 
October 15, 2021            "Top 10 US Road Trip Destinations along the West Coast" 

Thrilist (online)                "The Most Beautiful Places in Washington State"
October 18, 2021                                                                       10,400,000 
Flavorverse (online) 
October 25, 2021            "19 of the Best and Beautiful Lakes in Washington"           115,000 
Curiocity (online) 
“Here's when Washington's best ski hills open & how 
November 5, 2021          much each costs to enjoy”                                 589,000 
Seattle P-I (online)* 
November 9, 2021          "5 unplugged Pacific Northwest getaways for fall and        1,290,000 
winter" 
Emerald City Journal        "Washington Tourism Alliance Announces New Rural 
(online)*                      Tourism Support Program"                                        2,830 
November 11, 2021 
Trips to Discover (online) 
November 15, 2021         "15 Best Vrbo Rentals in Washington State"                 1,500,000 
Redfin (online) 
November 16, 2021         "10 Day Trips From Seattle You Need to Take"              94,100,000 
Jio For Me (online) 
November 16, 2021         “10 Day Trips From Seattle You Need to Take”               307,000 
Fodor's Travel (online) 
November 16, 2021         “Top Places to go in the West in 2022”                     2,200,000 

National Geographic 
(online)                        "25 amazing journeys for 2022"                                13,900,000 
November 18, 2021 
Seattle Met (online) 
November 23, 2021         "Northwest Travel Winter 2021–22: Where to Go, What      302,000 
to Know" 
USA Today 10best (online)*  "Enjoy a cozy winter retreat at these lodges in 
November 30, 2021         Washington"                                            1,460,000 
Thrillist (online)* 
November 30, 2021         "Where to Go in Seattle on a Date this Winter"             10,400,000 
Seattle Met (online) 
December 3, 2021          "Things to Do in Washington State in December"             302,000






COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

Travel Lemming (online) 
December 16, 2021         "50 Best Emerging Travel Destinations for 2022"              97,000 
Inlander (online)             "Northeast Washington to plan for tourism as state tries 
December 16, 2021         to replicate success of other PNW communities"             261,000 
TinyBeans (online) 
December 28, 2021         "10 Easy Winter Weekend Getaways to Take Now"          2,560,000 
Conde Nast Traveler (online)
January 21, 2021             "The Best Hike in Every National Park"                       3,800,000 
Puget Sound Business 
Journal (online)*             "State tourism group unveils new marketing plan as 
January 25, 2021             industry eyes recovery"                                      10,500,000 
Puget Sound Business 
Journal (E- Newsletter)* 
January 25, 2021             E-Newsletter                                                  25,096 
2022 
Publication, Format, Date  Title + Link                                             Reach/Readership 
Travel + Leisure (online) 
January 11, 2022          "13 Best Honeymoon Destinations in the U.S."            7,320,000 
New Day NW (online)     "Check out these 5 stunning winter hikes around 
January 19, 2022           Washington - New Day NW"                              3,820,000 
Newsbreak (online)       "Check out these 5 stunning winter hikes around 
January 19, 2022           Washington - New Day NW"                             14,300,000


















COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

PSBJ Readership: 
Puget Sound Business                                                          10.5 million 
Journal (online)*            State Tourism Group Unveils New Marketing Plan      PSBJ Newsletter
January 24, 2022           as Industry Eyes Recovery                           Subscribership: 25K 
Travel + Leisure (online)    "Seattle Is the Ultimate City for Outdoor Adventure 
January 30, 2022          Lovers — Here's How to Make the Most of It"            7,320,000 
KUOW NPR (online)       "Tourism is booming in our small towns. But can 
January 31, 2022           locals afford to enjoy it?"                                  601,000 
Seattle Met (online)
February 2, 2022          "Romantic Valentine’s Day Vacations in the               355,000 
Northwest" 
425 Business (online)* 
February 2, 2022           "State of Washington Tourism Unveils New                 9,060 
Branding for 2022" 
South Sound Business 
(online)* February 2, 2022 "State of Washington Tourism Unveils New                 5,140 
Branding for 2022" 
Newsbreak(online)* 
February 2, 2022           "State of Washington Tourism Unveils New              14,300,000 
Branding for 2022" 
Yakima Herald (online)*   "Yakima Valley, state organizations ready to 
February 7, 2022           welcome visitors back after COVID disruptions"           625,000 
Travel Tour and 
World (online)*           "Yakima Valley, state organizations ready to 
February 8, 2022           welcome visitors back"                                     14,400 
Sunset (online)             "Need a Romantic Getaway? Try These Car 
February 11, 2022         Camping Destinations for Two"                           672,000 
The Manual (online) 
February 16, 2022         "Read This Wine Lover’s Washington State Wine          2,800,000 
Guide" 
Geekwire (online)*        "Alternative trails, alerts and more: Washington 
February 17, 2022         state recreation app rolling out this spring"               1,200,000 
The Wall Street 
Journal (online)*           "Five Mountain Towns that Promise Crowd-Free 
February 24, 2022         Summer Adventures"                                    33,000,000 
Salt Lake Magazine 
(print)*                      "Road Trip: Washington"                                      720,000 
March 1, 2022 
Salt Lake Magazine 
(online)*                    Road Trip: Washington                                       586,299 
March 8, 2022 
Tinybeans National       All the Reasons Northern Washington Should Be on 
(online)*                    Your Must- Visit List                                         2,560,000 
March 10, 2022 
Daily Record (online)*     “State of Washington Tourism seeking applicants 
March 16, 2022           for Rural Tourism Support program”                     124,000 
Yakima Herald-
Republic (online)*         “State of Washington Tourism seeking applicants 
March 16, 2022           for Rural Tourism Support program”                     625,000



COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

Outside (online)* 
March 15, 2022           "The 10 Best Beach Towns in the U.S., Ranked"           3,170,000 
Insider (online)*            "I'm a travel writer who's been to all 50 states. 
March 27, 2022           Here are the 10 I think are the most underrated"        29,500,000 
4.   Destination Development Details 
• Participants 
o   Tri-City Region (TEDD) 
o   Spokane Tribe 
o   Kalispeil Tribe 
o   Colville Confederated Tribes 
o   Ferry County Sunrise 
o   Washington State university Extension Ferry County 
o   National Park Service 
o   Colville National Forest 
o   Rural Resources 
o   Colville Together 
o   Vaagen Brothers Lumber 
o   Visit Spokane 
o   Nordlig Motel 
o   Chewelah Creative District 
o   Pend Oreille Regional Tourism Association 
o   Pend Oreille Economic Development Council 
o   Northeast Washington Forestry Coalistion 
o   49-degree North Mountain Resort 
o   Fruitland Valley Vineyard 
o   Wuestoff Excavation 
o   Audubon Washington/The Great Washington State Birding Trail 
o   Colville Rotary Club/Blazing Saddles Bike Ride 
• Workshops 
o   March 29/30 – Chewelah Golf & Country Club 
o   April 26/27 – Republic Brewing Co. & K Diamond Guest Ranch 
o   May 17 – Camas Center for Community Wellness & Kalispel Casino 
5.   Travel Trade 
Trade Show Details 
• Go West Summit, Los Angeles, March 1-4, 2021 
o   The Go West Summit introduces the world’s top international tour operators to specialty
travel suppliers offering tourism-related products or services in the American west. SWT 
conducted 23 meetings with tour operators, receptives or media and held a caucus for
Washington DMOs to update, plan and sell. 
• ITB, Berlin, Germany, March 9-12, 2021 
o   A partnership with the Port of Seattle, SWT conducted 12 appointments with European
tour operators. While 2021 appointments were virtual due to the pandemic, in other 
years ITB is the world’s largest travel trade show, convening 10,000 exhibitors from 180 
countries. SWT and Port follow-up emails were made to each appointment participant
that included itineraries and other information.

             COMMISION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

• Brand USA Global Marketplace, virtual, June 30, 2021 
o   SWT promoted the destination to tour operators and retail sellers of travel from 28
international markets at this virtual marketplace. SWT and Port representatives
conducted 14 business-to-business appointments. Follow-up emails were made to
each appointment participant that included itineraries and other information. Sales 
leads were distributed to the Washington State tourism industry travel trade
representatives. 
• IPW Convention, Las Vegas, September 18-22, 2021 
o   SWT promoted the destination virtually and in person at IPW in Las Vegas. IPW is the
largest inbound travel trade show, with group tour buyers from across the globe meeting
to do business with U.S. destinations and travel suppliers via time professional
appointments. SWT represented Washington in 34 in-person meetings held over three 
days, and 19 virtual meetings held over two days. The SWT PR representative met with 
16 journalists and travel writers during the media marketplace. More than 100 follow-up
emails were made to each appointment participant, as well as introductions to local
DMOs, local tour operators and other potential partners. 
• National Tour Association Travel Exchange, Cleveland, November 14-16, 2021 
o   The NTA Travel Exchange convenes packaged tour professionals from North America and 
around the world. The NTA’s annual conference features buyers of all types and
specialties who meet with tour suppliers and DMOs to build partnerships, collaborations,
and sellable itineraries. SWT represented Washington in 24 in-person meetings held over
two days and over 50 follow-up emails were made to each appointment participant, as 
well as introductions to local DMOs, local tour operators and other potential partners. 
• Go West Travel Exchange, Reno, February 14-16, 2022 
o   SWT promoted the destination in person at the Go West Travel Exchange in Reno. The 
Travel Exchange brings together packaged tour professionals from North America and
around the

                   • world. The Go West annual conference features buyers of all type and specialty who meet with
tour suppliers and DMOs to build partnerships, collaborations, and sellable itineraries. SWT
represented Washington in 32 in-person meetings held over two days. Over 60 follow-up emails
were made to each appointment participant, as well as introductions to local DMOs, local tour
operators and other potential partners. 
• RTO Summit, Los Angeles, March 22-23, 2022 
o   The RTO Summit connects destinations, hoteliers, attractions, and tour operators with 
receptive tour operators who help sell room nights and experiences internationally.
SWT provided an incentive for local DMOs to bring partners with them to the event. 
Three DMOs took advantage of the offer creating opportunities for participation for
two extra hoteliers, an attraction and a tour guide. SWT represented Washington in 25
in-person meetings. Over 50 follow-up emails will be made to each appointment 
participant, as well as introductions to local DMOs, local tour operators and other
potential partners. 
6.   Performance Metrics 
• 2020 
o   Visitor volume - 79.5 million (- 27.3%) 
o   Visitor spending - $13 billion (-40%) 
o   State/local taxes - $1.5 billion (-32%); Increased the average household tax burden by
$400 
o   Employment - 119,157 jobs supported (-427.3%) 
o 
• 2021 
o   Visit volume - 95.3 million (+19.7%); 87% of 2019 volume 
o   Visitor spending - $17.7 billion (+36.2%); 81% of 2019 expenditures 
o   Visitor Generated Tax Receipts - $2.4 billion +(27.6%); offsets average household tax
burden by $669 
o   Employment - 131,000 direct jobs supported (+8.7%) 
Out-of-state (non-resident) Visitation 
According to tabulations by Tourism Economics, a respected national travel and tourism research firm,
47% or 44 million of the total annual domestic visitor volume in Washington State is non-resident. The
breakout was compiled from survey and other statistical data assembled in the creation of Economic
Impacts of Tourism in Washington for the calendar year of 2021. 
Consumer marketing key performance metrics: 
• True to Nature North American advertising campaign 
o   The initial True to Nature campaign influenced approximately $52.7 million in outof-
state visitor revenues 
o   The campaign had an ROI of $33 generated per dollar spent on paid media (33:1 ROI) 
o   The campaign reached 41% of travelers in our target markets 
o   Ad aware visitors spent more, stayed longer, and did more activities during their trips 
o   Millennials, African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, Native 
Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and people with children in the home were more
aware of the advertising 

Template revised April 12, 2018.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No.                                  Page 17 of 17 
Meeting Date: July 26, 2022 

o   77% of ad award travelers in our target markets researched more information 
on visiting the State of Washington vs. 49% of unaware travelers 
o   100 million impressions across media partners 
Does not yet include broadcast television impressions 
o   The campaign directly generated more than 250,000 new website sessions. 
Notably, digital video placements helped drive significant web traffic 
• Explore Washington Campaign 
o   14.9 million total impressions 
o   466,500 room nights 
o   148.5 million gross 
bookings 
Consumer Analytics Program: 
• SWT maintains a contract with Datafy to provide ongoing consumer data and analytics 
(travel, spending, demographics, psychographics) for Washington visitors 
• SWT offers 30 percent discounted subscription to state communities without a DMO; DMOs 
are offered a 20 percent discount 
• Data is used by both SWT and industry members to develop marketing strategies and 
campaigns are return on investment 











Template revised September 22, 2016.