If we all invited one person to visit Washington state, it would create 20,000 jobs in the hospitality industry, according to the state tourism department.

Tourist dollars are the lifeblood of our economy, a message that the San Juan Island Visitors’ Bureau brought home to a room full of lodging, restaurant, recreational, and retail business owners at its annual membership luncheon.

In 2009, visitors to San Juan County spent $116.5 million, which is down 10 percent from the previous year. The good news: in 2010, lodging tax money was up 10.3 percent.

The visitors bureau says our tourism economy is facing several challenges: the price of gas, the cost of ferry fares, and new NOAA regulations that increase whale watching distances to 200 yards.

So it’s more important than ever to promote our businesses and create an incredibly positive customer experience so visitors keep coming back. If we want to keep our businesses thriving, we need to attract and keep tourists.

We’re not just talking to restaurant, lodging, and shop owners. We are speaking to all residents of our islands. Be kind, courteous, and welcoming to tourists. Our visitors matter.

And fingers crossed, they will be spending their dollars in our communities this spring and summer. The New York Times recently listed us as the #2 destination in its “The 41 Places to Go in 2011.” Since the first of this year, the San Juans have been mentioned in 120 mainland and international stories on such programs and publications as the Today Show, USA Today, AOL Travel, Coastal Living, Huffington Post, and San Diego Magazine.

So when families, wedding parties, and bicyclists share our islands with us, be grateful they chose to visit the place we call home.

And try some tourism right outside your door. Be a visitor in your own backyard: take your family – or your visitors – to neighboring islands.