October-2010

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Feature Article:

Tight Budgets Call for Creative Thinking

In an era of tight operating and marketing budgets, it has become painfully apparent to nearly every state and regional tourism and destination marketing organization in the nation that some creative thinking and strategic partnerships need to be implemented in order to maintain a competitive presence in their respective markets.

The Washington State Tourism division of the Department of Commerce is currently working with representatives from the state legislature, destination marketing organizations, hotel, restaurant, retail other tourism related sectors to seek revenue sources to promote tourism in the state. With a $14 billion per year industry and nearly 150,000 jobs at stake—combined with increasing competition from surrounding states—this group is highly motivated to find models that will create ongoing and stable funding to market the state as a top-of-mind travel destination. The issue is complex and no easy solution is expected in the near term.

Tourism Funding Summit Meeting

A meeting that is open to all industry members will held in SeaTac on October 29 from 9:00 – noon to present some of the funding models the group has discovered being used successfully by other states and their recommendations for implementation by the Washington State Tourism office.

Date: October 29

Time: 9 a.m. - Noon

Place: Doubletree Hotel Seattle Airport

18740 International Blvd.

Seattle, WA 98188

RSVP: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Contact Washington State Destination Marketing Organizations (WSDMO) for more details, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In the meantime the department has launched several initiatives aimed at developing public/private relationships to help them compete with surrounding states with much larger marketing budgets. In 2009, this effort resulted in $2.3 million dollars in private sector matching funds. A great example of this can be found in their award-winning Washington State Travel Planner and companion integrated marketing program that is being provided at no cost to the state.

State’s Travel Planner is Centerpiece of Marketing Strategy

The Washington State Tourism office has a solid and ongoing commitment to the Official Washington State Travel Planner publication that the Governor’s Tourism Commission launched in 2008. “The State’s Travel Planner remains a centerpiece of the Tourism Commission Marketing Strategy” said Marsha Massey, Tourism Office Executive Director. “Despite budget cutbacks, that will not change in 2011” she adds. Massey said the Tourism Office expects not only to distribute all 350,000 print copies of the 2011 Travel Planner but will also see increases in online and e-marketing activity.

Integrated Marketing Campaign: Value Added

The Washington State Travel Planner has also been the primary call to action for an aggressive e-marketing campaign that now reaches 85,000 opt-in subscribers every month and is on target to increase to well over 125,000 names by year’s end. With open and click through rates far above industry standards, this has proven to be an extremely effective direct marketing campaign.

In addition to the printed publication—which has exceeded all expectations for fulfillment requests in 2010—the Travel Planner is available in an online edition in five languages, English, Spanish, German, French and Japanese. These electronic versions, combined with five other special interest publications have received over 3-million page views this year from January through August to extend the domestic and international reach far beyond the scope of the printed product with its annual distribution of 350,000 copies.

With just over 400 Travel Planners left in inventory, the state has already begun taking pre-orders for the 2011 edition.

Target: Your Audience

This publication and integrated electronic marketing campaign is targeted primarily to travelers from throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia—the people you want to reach precisely when they’re making their travel plans.

Ad sales for the 2011 Travel Planner will wrap up in mid-October and the publication will be available for distribution in early January.

CLICK HERE to see a copy of the online edition and to get more information about the Official Washington State Travel Planner.

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