Wenatchee Increases Tourism Charge in Anticipation of Competitive 2021

The Wenatchee City Council recently voted to adopt an ordinance doubling the room per day rate that local lodging businesses pay for tourism promotion.

Mayor Frank Kuntz said the tourism promotion area, or TPA, was established in 2006 and has never increased from its initial charge of $1 per night.

Kuntz said, "This is obviously put on by basically the hoteliers who approached the TPA and said we're interested in adding to the advertising budget, please add dollar a room to all the hotel nights well sell. Then spend it in accordance with the RCW."

Council Member Keith Huffaker mentioned before the vote that he had actually expected the increase to happen a long time ago, as most cities he's been to have been at least $2.00 per night for quite a while. State law allows for a maximum of $5.00 per night.

Going into what's thought to be an aggressive year for tourism advertising, the TPA budget is short roughly $50,000. Also working against local hoteliers is the fact that the area added over 200 hotel rooms in 2019 and will add upwards of 400 rooms in 2021.

According to officials with the Chamber of Commerce, the Wenatchee area's hospitality industry has taken the biggest hit in our region with the least amount of recovery. In fact, the hospitality industry accounts for 33% of those still unemployed in the area, which is about 2,500 people.