Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

Tourism is growing in the Tri-Cities.  June saw 11,000 visitors attending 12 sports activities, generating nearly $3 million in revenue for the Kennewick, Pasco and Richland area.  July promises 7 additional sporting events with the likelihood of 8,500 visitors spending more than $2.4 million.  Hector Cruz, sports development manager at the Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau indicated that sports organizers appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere of the Tri-City communities.

The Tri-Cities offer close to 3,500 guest rooms for those attending sporting events.  Restaurants and various hospitality businesses partner to offer corresponding discounts to the many visitors who return to the Tri-Cities for a second look after the sporting event is over.  Repeat customers is always a good invitation for staying longer or relocating to the Tri-Cities.  Distinctive Properties, Inc. carries a wide range of listings for homes in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and outlying smaller communities.  We welcome the opportunity to serve new arrivals.

The Tri-City Regional Hotel-Motel Commission approved the 2010 budget and business and marketing plan for the Tri-Cities Regional Tourism Promotion Area on Wednesday at its monthly meeting.

The budget for next year will remain at $810,000. That’s the same amount budgeted in 2008 and 2009, though the commission used $13,800 from reserves this year to boost the opportunity fund, which is money used to help offset the cost of big groups coming to town for sporting events and conventions.

Marketing to potential visitors from San Francisco and British Columbia is a new component of the 2010 plan. Commissioners and others in the local hotel industry see residents in those markets as strong candidates to become new visitors to the area.

The TPA was created in 2004 and allows hotels with more than 40 rooms to collect a $1.50 fee for each hotel room rented. The money is used to market the Tri-Cities throughout the Northwest and to bring in more spending events, conventions and individual travelers.

Source: Tri-City Herald