‘SayWA’ debate puts focus
on tourism program

By Don Brunell
Guest Editorial

There is no middle ground when it comes to the state’s new tourism slogan: “SayWA.” You either love it or hate it.

Regardless of which side you choose, the “SayWA” controversy focuses new attention on Washington state’s tourism program. Over the years, governors and legislatures viewed tourism as a discretionary program that is eventually whacked when budgets are tight. As a result, we have a token state program today.

Meanwhile, other states are spending millions to develop and test brands like “Virginia is for Lovers”; Montana, the “Big Sky Country”; or British Columbia, “Beautiful BC.” Then they spend millions more to make sure the brand sticks in people’s minds.

Private companies such as Coca-Cola, Chevrolet and Budweiser do the same thing. How many of your grandchildren walk around singing the Sleep Country USA jingle? Lots. Those companies understand the value of branding — creating an identity and searing that image into people’s minds.

It’s the same for state tourism programs. Montana even developed an inviting song, “When Montana Sings,” which glued people to the television set while the commercial played. Because of that campaign, people instantly envision Montana as a place they want to be, riding a horse into the sunset or diving into a crystal clear lake. That is exactly the image the Montana tourism department wants to engrain in your mind. They want you to go to Glacier National Park rather than Mount Rainier.

Branding doesn’t happen by chance, and it is not cheap. For example, Montana has only 15 percent of Washington’s population, but its Legislature allocates three to five times as much as we do on tourism promotion. And, Montana doesn’t have a sales tax to capture tourism revenue like Washington can.

Spending money on tourism is not a government handout or feel-good program. It is a business investment, and if we fail to look at it that way, we are losing money every minute of every day. It requires a strategy, a plan and financing.

According to the Travel Industry Association, in 2004 our state ranked 25th in tourism employment, with 102,700 workers. Even New Jersey, Illinois and Texas employ more people in the travel industry than our state. No offense, but I’ve been to all three states, and they can’t hold a candle to Washington’s beauty and diversity of recreation.

In 2004, travelers to Washington spent $11.6 billion and generated $617 million for the state’s general fund. That was before the state Department of Community Trade and Economic Development produced the “SayWA” campaign.

Even if “SayWA” is the catchy slogan we’ve been looking for, no one will really know because the serious money needed to brand the slogan is absent.

Tourism has been shoved to the back burner for too long by the Legislature. It needs an infusion of public and private dollars to develop an effective strategy that centers on a brand, label or slogan that the travel industry can use as a foundation for its efforts.

The upcoming Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and the increasing popularity of Washington wines give us an opportunity to showcase Washington and increase revenues to state and local governments from tourism spending.

Millions of people from around the world will focus on the Pacific Northwest as Vancouver prepares for the games, and as wine connoisseurs discover our fine wines, we are positioned to take advantage of what the travel industry can bring to the state of Washington.

The only question is: “Will we?” That’s a question we should ask those who want our votes in the November elections.

Don Brunell is president of the Association of Washington Business, Washington state’s chamber of commerce. For more information on the AWB, go online to www.awb.org.