From the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
National Travel & Tourism Week, May 4 – 12, champions the power of travel to enhance communities across the country by contributing to the local economy and overall quality of life. To put it more directly: Tourism Matters. It’s also the perfect timing to release figures from a recent study, “Washington State Travel Impacts & Visitor Volume” by Dean Runyan Associates.
The San Juan Islands host an estimated 750,000 visitors a year, which, in turn, creates an annual infusion of $156.5 million into the local economy (2012 preliminary total). According to San Juan County data, lodging tax grew by 15.3% in 2012. Visitor spending in general grew by $13.9 million (representing 9.6% growth) from 2011, according to the Runyan study. More information on visitor impacts to the State of Washington can be found here: www.whytourismmatters.com.
The theme for 2013’s National Tourism week is “The Travel Effect” and it’s responsible for creating jobs, stimulating business development, funding town and county projects, and enriching the culture and vibrancy of visitor destinations like the San Juan Islands. Think–great restaurants and activities. An estimated 1,850 jobs were supported by tourism dollars last year in San Juan County. In fact, approximately one out of every eight people in the Islands is employed by tourist dependent businesses.
The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau is the county’s official destination marketing organization and represents over 330 island businesses supporting local history, culture and visitor education. Visitors here generated 2.7 million in local taxes; taxes that stayed in San Juan County to support local services and helped to reduce tax burdens for island residents. Lodging taxes paid by the visitor help fund our Chamber of Commerce visitor centers, destination marketing services, community theaters, historical museums, county parks, fairgrounds, festivals and events. Celebrate these treasures by visiting island museums, cultural centers, and historic sites during, History Lives Here: Heritage Month in the San Juan Islands, (www.visitsanjuans.com), in May.
There is much to see and do here at home on a “staycation,” in May. Learn more about our tourism businesses and all of May’s events at www.visitsanjuans.com.
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Deborah and her associates have done a remarkable job of promoting destination tourism for The San Juan Islands. She is also famous for under-stating the impact of tourism on the economy of our islands.