Washington Tourism Marketing Authority holds first meeting of 2020 next week
Jan. 23 board meeting on the state Capitol Campus in Olympia is open to the public.
OLYMPIA, WA – Created to oversee a new statewide marketing campaign for tourism, the Washington State Tourism Marketing Authority (WTMA) will hold its first meeting of 2020 on Jan. 23 at the John L. O’Brien Building on the Capitol Campus in Olympia, 606 Columbia St. NW. The meeting is from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
The 13-member board, including nine governor appointees, will review progress on the development and implementation of a statewide tourism plan in partnership with the Washington Tourism Alliance. The new campaign is expected to launch in the spring with a focus on promoting economic development through tourism in the state’s smaller and rural communities.
Tourism is the fourth largest industry in Washington, employing more than 182,700 workers and generating $21.4 billion in annual spending. The 2018 state legislature created a statewide tourism marketing account to fund up to $3 million per biennium, using 0.2% of an existing retail sales tax on lodging, care rentals and restaurants. The WTMA has accountability for fund expenditures and manages the contract with WTA, a non-profit, statewide tourism marketing organization.
For more information on the Tourism Marketing Authority, visit https://www.commerce.wa.gov/promoting-washington-state/tourism-marketing-authority/.
Contact: Penny Thomas, Commerce Communications, 206-256-6106