Port of Seattle encourages cruise ship visitors to see the Snoqualmie Valley
August 17, 2011
By Atia Musazay
From the Space Needle to Pike Place Market, Seattle has plenty to offer its guests, but the Washington Tourism Alliance and the Port of Seattle are encouraging cruise ship tourists to explore beyond the predictable city limits.
They are hoping tourists will venture into the suburban and rural areas outside of Seattle into, quite literally, the outdoors.
“We are working on trying to develop adventure opportunities for tourists,” said Bob Cole, the economic development director for the city of Snoqualmie. “Can they go on a two-hour mountain bike ride through the forest? How about climbing Mount Si or hiking on the trails at Rattlesnake Lake?”
This is part of a plan carried out by the newly established Washington Tourism Alliance, which is working along with the Port of Seattle and other tourism agencies to let people know about the tourist opportunities that exist outside of Seattle.
“The cruise ship (industry) brings about $400 million to King County and the region, and that’s because the passengers are staying one to two nights in the area. But most of them are spending that time in downtown Seattle,” Seattle Port Commissioner Bill Bryant said.
He said he hopes the cruise ship tourists extend their stay and explore the surrounding areas, “whether that is wineries in Woodinville or going out to Snoqualmie Falls.”
The state Legislature recently shut down the Washington State Tourism Office.
In its place, various stakeholders including the port, some of the hotel associations and some of the restaurant associations have established the alliance to serve as a vehicle for communities to reach out to tourists, Bryant said.
Cole said he is very interested in working with the port to identify opportunities for tour buses to visit sites at Snoqualmie, 25 miles outside of Seattle.
Some of those sites include the Northwest Railway Museum, Snoqualmie Casino and Dirtfish Rally School.
“We would love to not only help bring people to DirtFish Rally School but the whole Snoqualmie Valley area as well,” said Bruce Cleland, marketing manager of the rally school. “We would also love to partner with other business in the community to create multiple reasons to come here for a visit.”
The school offers sessions on how to drive and race on dirt roads at different levels of expertise.
Snoqualmie Casino is the closest gaming center to Seattle. Jon Jenkins, chief executive officer of the casino, said that it draws tens of thousands of visitors on a weekly basis from the Puget Sound area and around the world.
“We would welcome these visitors with open arms, regardless of whether it directly benefits the casino,” he said.
However, Cole expressed concern that even with the alliance, smaller communities still have to manage tourism on their own. That’s why Cole is part of an organization called Outside Seattle.
Its website, www.outside- seattle.org, provides information about events and sites on the east side of King County and parts of Kittitas County for visitors. Cole said that a mobile website along with a touch screen at Snoqualmie Falls has also been established.
But there is also a need to spread the word. That involves determining which media people are using to find out about tourist spots.
“We’re doing an awful lot with our website. On individual events, we’re using the traditional Facebook and Twitter,” Cole said.
Snoqualmie Falls attracts 2 million visitors every year, according to Cole. With the push to bring even more visitors, Puget Sound Energy — which owns the property — is working on a long-term plan to enhance their stay. It is part of a hydroelectric project going on at the falls.
“Part of the work includes substantial improvements to our park and recreation lands and facilities at the falls to give visitors an even better experience when visiting the site,” said Roger Thompson, of Puget Sound Energy.
The project includes improving hiking trails and creating better riverfront access for kayakers and boaters.
Outsideseattle.org lists a number of spots for visitors, including North Bend, which is known for its outlet mall, and recreational opportunities in the Cascade Mountains.
Whidbey Island is another destination spot that features microbreweries and wineries. Port Angeles is also attracting tourists to hiking at Hurricane Ridge. Cole and Bryant agreed that there is going to have to be coordination to accommodate the rise of sightseers.
“As tourists are getting off of the cruise ship buses, the small businesses in our communities have a hard time accommodating in a timely fashion 40 to 50 people that arrive at the location at the same time,” Cole said. “So there is definitely going to have to be some coordination.”
“There is a role for the WTA, the port and for the communities. All three have to be involved,” Bryant said.
There are about 40,000 to 50,000 people whose jobs depend upon the condition of tourism in the state, he said.
“It’s is a very important part of King County’s economy,” he added.
Atia Musazay is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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2 Responses to “Port of Seattle encourages cruise ship visitors to see the Snoqualmie Valley”
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Most of us in the valley and downtown area of Snoqualmie look for ways to be gone during the casino and dirt fish races. Bring you money to the casino and let the tribe prosper or go to dirtfish and waste your money on racing in the mud- The valley does not need the casino or dirtfish. Come see the beauty of the valley but do not come when the casino has their outdoor concerts or all you will hear is noise. Spend you money and time enjoying the valley and avoid the casino and its addicting habbits. The casino and dirtfish should not be a reason to visit the valley as the whole state is full of casinos and racetracks but the Snoqualmies Valley is a great place to bring your whole family.
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