Washington state is poised to get out of the tourism promotion business, but the private sector is stepping up to fill the void.
It's only fair, AWB President Don Brunell writes in his weekly column. After all, employers have often called on government to change the way it works, to think outside the box.
Washington's budget shortfall is driving the change.The governor's proposed 2011-13 budget calls for the elimination of the Washington State Tourism office by June 30, and House Ways & Means Chair Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina, released a supplemental budget that would end funding for tourism promotion three months earlier.
That's why George Schweitzer, chief operating officer of Red Lion Hotels, is working with others to create an alliance of industries that directly benefit from tourism to pay to promote Washington.
They understand that tourism is too important to our state's economy to allow its promotion to wither because of budget cuts.
