Bring on the tourists!

Published 10:30 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

For the city of Snoqualmie, tourism is quickly becoming a hot topic – if it wasn’t one already – as it continues to expand its resources to draw in tourists and keep them in the city. With the Destination Development plan currently being drafted and the Snoqualmie Downtown Vision Plan on its coattails, the city is looking into its future.

It is also willing to invest in it.

The 2-year-old Lodging Tax and Advisory Committee (LTAC) is one city entity that is filtering funds into various promotional resources designed to attract tourists and promote the city as a tourism hot spot.

On Jan. 23, the Snoqualmie City Council approved funding for promotions of various city tourism-related activities as suggested by the LTAC.

Projects include developing interpretive signage for the Centennial Trail near the Northwest Railway Museum, creating a local farmer’s market, implementing a film festival in honor of the locally-born late film star Ella Raines, providing general marketing for the railway museum and materials for the Snoqualmie Valley Visitor Information Center and Tourism Operations, as well as providing media outreach for Snoqualmie Railroad Days 2006.

“I am very pleased about this year’s projects as they represent a concentrated focus on tourism development for Snoqualmie,” said Snoqualmie City Councilmember Kathi Prewitt. “All six projects have the potential to assist our city in economic development by raising awareness of Snoqualmie as a tourist destination.”

The committee has about $70,000 with which to work, allocating about $55,000 toward the six projects listed. The balance of the funds will be considered for use toward the implementation of the Destination Development’s economic development, branding and marketing plan, as well as partially kept for reserve funds.

The money must be used for the promotion and support of tourism, Prewitt said.

Established in January 2004, the LTAC focuses on requesting, receiving and evaluating proposals for tourism-related projects, as well as serving in an advisory capacity to the City Council. The money to fund tourism activities is gathered from an imposed excise tax for lodging by hotels, motels or similar business enterprises.

At this time the Salish Lodge & Spa is the only resource impacted by this fee, as it provides the only commercial lodging in Snoqualmie.

State law requires two representatives from the revenue stream and two representatives from the community that would be using the funds to be present as a part of the LTAC, explained Prewitt.

The committee is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council; there must be at least five members.

The Centennial Trail interpretative signage will receive $20,000 to be used in designing, manufacturing and installing a series of large, outdoor interpretive signs to go along Railroad Avenue.

Developments should be completed before the end of the year, Prewitt said.

“It will give [the space and visitors] a little bit of history,” Prewitt added, noting that the idea was first suggested in the Destination Development plan.

The film festival honoring Snoqualmie-born 1940s actress Ella Raines will be developed by the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum; the target date for the two-to-three day festival is January 2007.

The LTAC allocated $2,000 for promotional posters and other advertising efforts for the film festival.

“It’s exciting because from a tourism perspective, this will bring in overnight guests,” Prewitt said, noting that the longer a tourist stays in town, the more likely he or she will be to put money into the city. “She attracts international attention … she was the star of her day.”

The committee will also allocate $16,000 toward marketing the Northwest Railway Museum via advertising, promotion of special events and more.

About $6,000 will go to the Snoqualmie Valley Visitor Information Center and Tourism Operations to support the local chamber of commerce’s efforts to promote local tourism from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It will also go toward the city’s adventure guide.

The 2006 Railroad Days celebration will receive $5,000 from the committee to cover expenses for media outreach for the annual event occurring Aug. 4-6.

The city will provide $5,000 in conditional funding for promotion of the proposed inaugural 16-week Snoqualmie farmer’s market and holiday event to run from June through September on Fridays. The market will be located in the park near the gazebo in downtown Snoqualmie.