by Barbara Marrett
San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
Do you like to travel? Where do you like to travel? Well, for thousands of people, the San Juan Islands are their destination of choice and these visitors spent a “projected” $193.2 million last year in San Juan County, a significant spending increase of 12.1 percent from 2013, according to the recently released Travel Impacts and Visitor Volume report prepared for the Washington Tourism Alliance by Dean Runyan Associates.
National Travel and Tourism Week, May 2 – 10, champions the power of travel to not only benefit the traveler but also enhance the locations visited. Look around you. What would the islands be without performing arts centers, museums and gorgeous galleries? Without a plethora of parks and open spaces? Many of the places islanders cherish are present, in part, due to their shared appeal to visitors.
Visitor dollars help support the cultural vibrancy of destinations like the San Juan Islands by creating jobs; direct visitor sector jobs represented 18.3 percent of total employment in 2013 and increased 2 percent in 2014. Visitor dollars also relieve the tax burden on locals by contributing funds toward town and county projects. In fact, the visitor share of taxable sales in San Juan was 34.4 percent in 2014.
The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau is the county’s official destination marketing organization representing over 300 island businesses and supporting the promotion of local history, arts, agriculture, outdoor recreation and visitor education. Mostly funded by lodging tax paid by the visitor, it also receives business membership dues. The bureau’s job is to entice visitors through advertising campaigns, maintain a robust website and social media programs, and actively solicit travel stories and media coverage. Our umbrella promotions throughout the year extend the islands’ allure to visitors in the quiet season.
Visitors do create impacts which can be challenging. The next time you think to yourself, “I wish we had the islands to ourselves,” remember how visitor financial support enhances island life year-round for locals and how much you enjoy yourself on your own vacation.
