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SAN JUAN ISLAND VISITORS INFORMATION BUREAU |
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Email this page to a friend Related storiesLetter about tourism ad campaign stories about San Juan County's hotel/motel tax | |
San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau Activityposted 02/21/05
Jacobson’s appointments included Bon Appetit, Shape, AAA, Sports Travel, Physician’s Money Digest, National Motorist, The L.A. Times, Good Morning America and The View on CBS. Other attendees on the trip included the Olympic Peninsula, Leavenworth, Cascade Loop, Bellingham, Everett, Tri-Cities, Yakima, Walla Walla and Spokane. Washington State Tourism hosted a Media Marketplace with Washington foods and wines at Spago in Beverly Hills for about 70 key journalists. The San Juan Islands were featured in several televised presentations on the Travel Channel this month. "Honeymoon Hotspots USA" was filmed last fall on Orcas Island and San Juan Island and also New York, Las Vegas, Vail, and Maui. Members of the Visitors Bureau participating were Turtleback Farm Inn, The Inn at Ship Bay, Pelindaba Lavender, Lavender Fields Day Spa, San Juan Safaris, and Kenmore Air. Viewership was high for this special episode featuring Trista and Ryan of Reality TV fame. The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau presented a free Hospitality Packaging and Programming seminar by Washington State Tourism that attracted forty members to the Orcas Hotel on February 10. Innovative ideas to increase consumer loyalty and shoulder season tourism were the focus. San Juans ranked high in national travel magazinesposted 07/26/04
These rankings are the results of Travel + Leisure’s 9th annual survey of readers’ favorites. These results will be featured in the August issue of the magazine, available on newsstands July 27. The magazine’s Web site also covers the annual survey. At the same time, MSN features the San Juan Islands in "52 Weekends" on its Web site. MSN assigned July weekends to the Grand Canyon, Philadelphia, Santa Cruz, Martha’s Vineyard, and the San Juan Islands. Each weekend profiles activities and lodging at a different destination. Among those featured for the San Juan Islands are Cascade Harbor Inn, the Resort at Deer Harbor, and Rosario Resort and Spa on Orcas Island. For San Juan Island, it’s Friday Harbor House, Roche Harbor, and San Juan Excursions. Visitor Bureau brochure wins awardposted 10/28/03
The WACVB is an educational association for convention and visitors bureaus from throughout the western U.S. and Canada. Over 120 attendees from over 60 convention and visitors bureaus from 12 states and 2 Canadian provinces attended the recent conference. Other winners in other categories included Lake Tahoe’s "Blue World" $3 million advertising campaign, Tucson’s destination video, and Bellingham’s "Girlfriends Roadtrip" campaign. The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau partnered with the following to produce the visitor education brochure: Friends of the San Juans, The Whale Museum, Soroptimist International Friday Harbor, Whale Watch Operators Association Northwest, San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce and Lopez Island Chamber of Commerce. San Juan County businesses are welcome to hand out the brochures. Quantities can be picked up at the following locations: Lopez Island – Island House Realtors, 468-3366; Orcas Island – Smugglers Villa Resort, 376-2297; San Juan Island – SJIVB/Chamber office, 378-3277. For more information please contact Deborah Hopkins at the SJIVB, 378-3277. Visitors receive ferry fare breakposted 10/22/03
For $29.50 a carload of people can travel to the islands. The vouchers are available through participating lodging facilities. The promotion runs Oct. 20 through Nov. 20, 2003. Participating innkeepers include the $29.50 in their lodging rate, according to SJCVB Marketing Director Deborah Hopkins. The rate is equal to a car and driver fare Sunday through Tuesday. In effect, the passengers travel for free, said Hopkins. The vouchers are sent to the visitor after they make their reservation. The vouchers are good for travel every day but Friday. Hopkins said the participants are encouraged not to travel back to Anacortes on Sunday, but there isn’t an actual restriction on the voucher. Participating facilities are listed on the SJCVB Web site. Hopkins encourages more lodging operators to join the program. The SJCVB phone number is 378-3277. SJCVB and WSF will assess the success of this first collaboration after it concludes. $10K approved for Northern Lights Festivalposted 10/07/03
A decision on a request for an additional $36,000 for promotion of the Return of the Orcas Festival and Opening Day was deferred. The council will consider the request later after it determines how much money is available in the hotel/motel fund. Chambers begin monthly Visitor Services roundtable meetingsContributed photo
Photo: May 8 meeting attendees include from top to bottom, left to right: Carl Silvernail, ; Richard Civille, John Warsen, Debbie Pigman, Gerry Baker, Becky Smith, Deborah Hopkins, and Barbara Larson.
posted 05/15/03
The Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Chambers have been allotted 12 percent of the county two percent lodging taxes. With the assistance of Becky Smith and Jody Price of the Visitor Information Service (VIS), the chambers will meet basic visitor services criteria. Criteria includes:
The next meeting will be held June 18, 2003 on San Juan Island. Commissioners object to 'play with orcas' ad
posted 04/30/03
Commissioner Darcie Nielsen also objected to the ad. She said, "I was struck by the ad 'Come play with the orca' sounds like 'come swim with the dolphins or the manatees'. It was silly and reminded me of theme tourism places. It is not appropriate." Miller said the campaign goes against everything the county has said and done concerning protection of the killer whales. She also said the ad campaign was supposed to focus on the shoulder season and the orcas are not around then. She said, "We made a big point that the promotion was to be appropriate to the San Juan Islands and the way we see ourselves." She noted the slogan used - A Natural Playground - was chosen by the Town of Friday Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. Miller and Nielsen voted to send a letter to the SJIVB explaining their objections to the ad. Commissioner John Evans thought that approach was heavy-handed. He said, "The appropriate thing for a board member is to make contact with people directly responsible...I really don’t want this board to get in position of being editor in chief of the advertising coming out of the visitor's bureau." He noted the bureau had agreed to change the wording to 'come see the orcas'. Miller said she had contacted SJIVB Marketing Director Deborah Hopkins. According to Miller, Hopkins said it never crossed her mind there would be a problem with the phrase 'come play with the orcas'. Nielsen believed it was important to let the bureau know from the outset what was appropriate. She said part of the rationale behind raising the lodging tax to fund tourism promotion was that it "gives the county more control over tourism efforts." She said, "The ad implies you can play with these animals, that you can take a boat out and play with them." Evans said, "I don’t think anyone in their right mind is going out in a snorkel to play with whales." Evans voted against the motion to send a letter and did not sign the letter. Text of letter from Commissioners Rhea Miller and Darcie Nielsen to SJVIB Marketing Director Deborah Hopkins
Letter from Deborah Hopkins and Linda Hersey in responseDear Rhea and Darcie, In response to your concerns regarding our spring ad campaign in the Seattle Times and P.I., please be assured that we too are concerned about the welfare of our Orcas and delivering the proper messages to the general public regarding them. One of our primary objectives as a marketing organization is to educate the public about what we and many in our organization term "eco-tourism" - a responsible, informed approach to building on our local tourism economy. To that end, we are working proactively with concerned whale organizations to see how we can assist them in getting their messages to the general public. The first two weeks of our ad campaign were meant to celebrate the Orcas recent return to the San Juan Islands. By no means did we intend to mislead anyone into believing more than the fact that the San Juan Islands offer an exceptional environment, one of which is the opportunity to view the Orcas from the sea as well as from land. The ad promoted a metaphor for enjoying and immersing oneself in the natural beauty and "playground" that the Islands have to offer. We were simply depicting an Orca "playing" in its "natural playground," and invited readers to come and "play" here also. We never envisioned the general public taking this to assume they could actually touch or otherwise "play" with an Orca whale. As soon as we heard of Commissioner Miller's concerns (from a third party) we immediately called her to assure her we would change the tag line to "Come enjoy our natural playground." Subsequent weeks of advertising will also highlight the recreational aspects of the San Juan Islands: kayaking, hiking, biking, etc. Tourism has always had - and always will have - a profound impact on the social, economic and ecological fabric of the San Juan Islands. This is exactly why the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau is such an historic gathering. Finally, the Islands have a concerned and dynamic local organization with the opportunity to shape the nature of local tourism and to contribute to the economic health of this place we call home. We take our stewardship of this endeavor quite seriously, as all public servants must. We are also committed to including a symphony of voices in this very public process. We welcome your voices, and the opportunity to work with you as our organization develops. May we all work together to create an Island future that protects everything we love about living here. Sincerely, Deborah Hopkins, Marketing Director Linda Hersey, Board President San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau elects board and officersposted 04/15/03
The new board includes:
Officers were elected as follows:
The mission of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau is to promote the San Juan Islands as a preferred, year-round travel destination in order to strengthen the county's economy, with particular emphasis on increasing off-season visitation, while respecting the islands' unique and diverse ecosystems, environments, lifestyles and cultures. For information regarding membership, etc. contact Deborah Hopkins, Marketing Director, 360.378.3277. Visitor Bureau's time is hereposted 03/31/03
BASJC will serve as the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the county. Doing business as the San Juan Islands Visitor Bureau, it will use the revenue generated by the new 2 percent hotel/motel tax passed in 2002. Commissioner Rhea Miller opposed the tax and voted against awarding the contract. The bureau is authorized to enter into contracts with the chambers of commerce on the different islands for a total amount of not less than 12 percent of the contract price. San Juan County Prosecutor Randy Gaylord said, "In the past the Chambers of Commerce have acted in fractured ways. Money will pass through to them only if they get together and coordinate their activities." The money can only be awarded after a joint, coordinated proposal for visitor promotion services is approved by the Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Island Chambers of Commerce and the SJIVB. The county's Visitor Information Service (VIS) which has provided information about tourism related facilities and businesses in the county will continue its operations. Under the contract, VIS can receive up to 18 percent of the $300,000. SJISB President Mike Stolmeier said, "We're happy to have them continue as long as they want to." The contract allows SJIVB to contract with the county's Economic Development Council for monitoring and measurement services for a minimum of $5,000 per year.The analysis may include:
The SJIVB budget will be approved by the county each year. The first budget is scheduled to be reviewed March 31, 2003. At last week's meeting, Miller asked Stolmeier if it was true that the bureau has retained a lawyer for $15,000 per year. Stolmeier said Attorney Gregory Duff has been paid $1,000 for working on the contract and has suggested a retainer of $1,000 per month for the rest of the year. "Basically, he is building a foundation for contracts," he said. "There is a lot of work for him to do." Gaylord said there are tight controls over the funds. Invoices will be submitted quarterly. The contract states: "In no event will San Juan County pay for expenses not related to advertising, publicizing or otherwise contributing information for the purpose of attracting visitors and encouraging tourist expansion or expenses reasonably related to providing such services as reflected in the Annual Plan and Budget." SJIVB Marketing Director Deborah Hopkins is setting up the bureau's office in the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce office on Spring Street in Friday Harbor. The phone number is 360.378-3277. Press Release from Visitors Bureauposted 03/31/03
The mission of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, formerly the Business Association of San Juan County, is 'to promote the San Juan Islands as a preferred, year-round travel destination in order to strengthen the County's economy, with particular emphasis on increasing off-season visitation, while respecting the Island's unique and diverse ecosystems, environments, lifestyles and cultures.' The Visitors Bureau will begin marketing the San Juan Islands through consumer advertising and media relations. April marketing programs include cooperative television ads on KING5 TV with Kenmore Air Seaplanes and Washington State Tourism, as well as participating in the Northwest Travel Show at Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham. The Bureau also will promote its Web site www.travelsanjuans.com and will distribute 100,000 annual visitors guides in target markets. In addition, the Bureau has assumed the responsibility of continuing to provide valuable visitor contact services which have been performed by the VIS - Visitor Information Services - including a visitor services directory Guide to the San Juan Islands and responding to inquiries. VIS functions and personnel remain unchanged. The Chambers of Commerce on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Island, in partnership with the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, will continue to provide visitor services to the thousands who call, e-mail or walk-in for visitor information. All three chambers will receive funds from the Bureau to upgrade their visitor services capabilities. The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau's Board of Directors has hired Deborah Hopkins to head up its marketing and communications efforts. Hopkins was employed as the Marketing Director for Roche Harbor Village for over two years and served on the Bureau's Board. She brings nine years of visitor bureau marketing experience to the new position. For more information about the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau contact Hopkins at 360.378.3277. The Bureau's new office is located within the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce's office on Spring Street in Friday Harbor. |
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