Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | Tourism is an investment in Gig Harbor’s economy
The recent Gig Harbor Now article on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee’s discussion of tourism funding raised fair questions, and I want to use this letter to answer them directly, with the numbers behind our request and the reasoning behind our program.
First, the funding history. During the 2024 LTAC process, the City signaled that lodging tax reserves would decline over the coming years, and the Chamber responded by voluntarily reducing its request from $520,000 to $480,000 annually for 2025 and 2026. Our request for 2027 and 2028 returns to $520,000 because of increases we are experiencing in rising costs of services and goods, taxes, mandatory wage increases due to recent labor laws, etc. We recognize the fund is under real pressure, and every organization applying for these dollars deserves serious, comparative consideration. That is exactly the process that LTAC is running right now, and we support it.
Some background on how we got here. In 2023, the City of Gig Harbor approached the Chamber about assuming responsibility for the City’s tourism program, and following a competitive RFP process, we were awarded the destination marketing contract that August. Launching a program from scratch required real startup investment: a new destination brand, a new tourism website, a dedicated tourism team, and expanded Visitor Center hours to seven days a week. We built this deliberately and worked to keep costs as low as we could while doing it.
One of our first priorities was listening to our hotel partners, many of whom expressed valid concerns that they were underserved by previous tourism support. We took that feedback seriously and built our program around it: not just advertising Gig Harbor, but creating a collaborative program that supports hotels, restaurants, attractions, museums, waterfront experiences, and community events together.
That collaborative approach is also how we’ve supported organizations like Harbor WildWatch, Harbor History Museum, Eddon Boat Shop, and Gig Harbor Waterfront Alliance events, through joint marketing, cross-promotion on VisitGigHarbor.com, and shared events. I’ve also raised with the City whether some of these organizations might be better served through general fund support rather than the lodging tax pool, given how limited that pool now is. That question and our marketing partnership with these organizations are not in tension: our goal is to make sure every tourism-adjacent organization in Gig Harbor has a sustainable funding path, whether that’s through lodging tax dollars, the general fund, or both, alongside the marketing support we already provide.
On the specific question of what qualifies as tourism-related: For those who enjoy reading, the details can be found in RCW 67.28.1816. Tourism impact is more than hotel occupancy, but I want to answer that question with numbers rather than assertion. At Summer Sounds, we provide Harbor WildWatch with an interactive experience with a captive audience for their marine life center. In 2026 the chamber was able to raise enough funds to cover the concert series so that minimal if any LTAC funds will be used. Our visitor’s guide, funded at $61,560 annually, includes a distribution of 45,000 that are placed throughout the west coast region that includes SeaTac, the ferry system and various visitor centers. In 2025 we ran out of magazines and are on track to run out again by mid-Q4. We are happy to share this information with LTAC.
On staffing: our funding request includes staff that work on tourism-related activities which includes, most of the Tourism Director’s salary, an intern, an occasional contractor, and small percentages of the remainder of chamber staff who all assist visitors. Our tourism intern is a low-cost way to expand our capacity for visitor services and content creation while developing a future tourism professional, consistent with our effort to grow the program’s reach without growing its core costs.
Under Tourism Director Rosalyn Rochac-Finnegan’s leadership, our “Escape to Wonder” video series earned a Platinum Viddy Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, and an honorable mention from the Washington State Tourism association, competing against destinations including Seattle, Bellevue, and Spokane.
Tourism is an investment in Gig Harbor’s economy, and we take seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of public funds. We’re grateful to the LTAC for the thorough, comparative review currently underway, and we look forward to that process running its course.
All the best,
Miriam Battson
President/CEO, Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce