Visit Tri-Cities: Future looks bright for Tri-Cities

Tourism is a significant contributor to the Tri-Cities’ regional economy. Every year more visitors come to our community to attend conventions, sports tournaments and events, and to conduct business and explore local attractions, spending $432.9 million annually in Benton and Franklin counties. That spending generates $47.2 million in tax revenues, and $16.5 million of these taxes are retained locally, easing the tax burden for Tri-Cities residents.

An energized tourism industry offers employment opportunities. In fact, tourism sustains more than 5,900 jobs throughout the Tri-Cities region. It also fosters growth in other sectors, such as transportation, construction and even agriculture, allowing for more local small businesses to develop and flourish.

While the demand for the Tri-Cities remains strong and has even increased slightly in rooms sold in 2016, the number of hotel rooms available in our market has grown significantly. By the close of 2017, two more hotels will open, bringing the total Tri-Cities guest room inventory to 4,191. The increased inventory has hotels adjusting to their new fair market share. As demand remains the same, and the inventory of available rooms continues to grow, simple economics show that each hotel will sell fewer rooms as fair market share declines.

However, along with the recent completion of the Tri-Cities Airport’s $41.9 million modernization and expansion project, the Tri-Cities is well-positioned to welcome more visitors. As the industry grows and infrastructure improves, it becomes more important for VISIT TRI-CITIES to build and strengthen investments and programs that are proven to bring visitors to the area, create and sustain jobs, generate direct and indirect spending and increase tax revenue.

For example, wine aficionados continue to travel to the Tri-Cities region throughout the year to experience the heart of Washington wine country. Local entrepreneurs paired two of our area’s greatest assets, the Columbia River and wine. A 129-passenger yacht cruises up and down the river while guests enjoy Washington wines and cuisine created using locally-sourced ingredients. The Port of Kennewick is enhancing the visitor’s wine experience with its investment in Columbia Gardens Urban Wine and Artisan Village, which will introduce two boutique wineries to the area this fall. The wine village is also the proposed site of Columbia Basin College’s culinary school.

These types of investments build on the energy generated by our award-winning wineries, the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center and the Ste. Michelle Estates WSU Wine Science Center. The Tri-Cities Wine Tourism Council provides direction and marketing initiatives to promote these attractions and elevate the region’s reputation as a wine destination.

Work continues on the development of the Hanford unit of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which hosted 14,000 visitors in its first year as an official national park. The park also provides a platform for VISIT TRI-CITIES to foster growth in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) tourism. The Tri-Cities is already home to several science-based attractions such as The REACH Museum, the LIGO Hanford Observatory and the Bechtel National Planetarium at Columbia Basin College. However, STEM tourism is a broad topic that can be applied to a variety of visitor activities, attractions, industry and educational sectors and is not limited to topics traditionally associated with science.

While there are several projects in development that will increase our tourism portfolio, there are still assets in our community that need to be enhanced to stay competitive. It is crucial for our community to expand the Three Rivers Convention Center. Additional meeting space is needed to sustain and grow convention groups as well as attract new business to the Tri-Cities region.

Tourism is more than an economic driver with substantial financial benefits. It is a reminder of the Tri-Cities’ outstanding assets and unique characteristics: a steady job market with a well-educated workforce, an outstanding science and technology sector and a thriving wine industry. Our residents enjoy a remarkable quality of life with sunshine and endless outdoor recreation opportunities, strong infrastructure and so much more. It is this sense of pride and ownership that ignites and invigorates our community to continually become bolder, brighter and better!

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Visit Tri-Cities: Future looks bright for Tri-Cities."