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Washington State Tourism — Keith Swenson, Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness (Sept. 18, 2024)

Summary

Presentation titled Washington State Tourism by Keith Swenson, Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness, dated September 18, 2024. The slides say tourism is the state’s fourth-largest industry after ICT, aerospace and forest products, and that the sector generates roughly $23.9 billion annually statewide and contributes $3.3 billion in local and state taxes. They say the industry employs more than 163,000 workers and that the average visitor spends $221 per visit. They list the FIFA World Cup Summer 2026 games as an opportunity.

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“Washington State Tourism — Keith Swenson, Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness (Sept. 18, 2024).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2024-09-18-a32203-d273914-commerce-oedc-washington-state-tourism-2be5110cd6/, SHA-256 da870a7d387ffb7cf79b4cead10ec5dcc6f1fdbec0518819a0a879265ff564bc.

Full text

Washington State
Tourism

Keith Swenson
DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & COMPETITIVENESS

SEPT. 18, 2024
Impact
 • Tourism is the state’s fourth-largest industry after ICT, aerospace and forest products.
 • The sector generates roughly $23.9 billion annually statewide and contributes $3.3 billion in local
   and state taxes.
 • The average visitor spends $221 per visit.
 • 97.4% are domestic visitors; 2.6% are international travelers.
 • The industry employs more than 163,000 workers.
 • Industry reports estimate that every dollar spent by a tourist creates $1.36 in additional economic
   impact.
 • Half of all travelers are state residents who enjoy Washington’s year-round recreation and sports
   opportunities.



WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE                                                                  2
Opportunities
 • March Madness
   First and Second Rounds Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
      March 2025
 • FIFA World Cup
     Summer 2026
     6 games Seattle / 7 games Vancouver BC
     200 million viewers worldwide per match
 • Men’s Rugby World Cup
    2031 – Seattle on shortlist
 • Women's Rugby World Cup
    2033 – Seattle shortlisted




WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE                               3
Commerce’s Role
 • Convening stakeholders from across the state to maximize the impact these
   events have on tourism and the economy.
 • Identifying opportunities for cooperation and coordination between private and
   public sector partners.
 • Supporting local efforts to draw visitors to other parts of the state.
 • Ensuring that small businesses, particularly those in underserved and
   underrepresented communities, have access to opportunity.




WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE                                             4
  Thank you!

                                                   www.commerce.wa.gov




Keith Swenson
DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & COMPETITIVENESS

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