Seattle launches major blitz to lure West Coast tourists

A lot of people leave their hearts in San Francisco. But
an aggressive new tourism ad campaign is aimed squarely at
bringing their money to the Seattle area. And the blitz
is targeting potential travelers in Portland and
Vancouver, B.C. as well.

Commuters on San Francisco’s BART subway line won’t be
able avoid the sites of Seattle, especially in the
Montgomery Street Station where the new 2 days in Seattle
campaign will take over the entire complex with a variety
of ads touting Seattle’s unique offerings from the Pike
Place Market to an exclusive exhibition of Gaugain works
at the Seattle Art Museum.

“It’s all about impact and a visual statement in the
cities
that have this sophisticated traveler which is our target
audience,” says Ali Daniels, marketing director for the
Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The campaign is the first effort by the recently created
Seattle Tourism Improvement Area. The city granted 54
downtown hotels authority to collect a $2 per night fee to
pay for marketing efforts. With the state eliminating all
funding for tourism efforts, SCVB president Tom Norwalk
says it’s critical, especially as other cities
aggressively target upscale leisure travelers.

Vancouver spends more many than we do. The province of
British Columbia spends close to $60 million a year to
promote tourism. California spent at least $50 million.
San Francisco, Oregon, Idaho, and the state of Montana are all
spending considerably more than we are,” says Norwalk.

The new Seattle campaign features billboards, transit ads
and radio spots. The blitz will cost about $1.5 million
for it’s two month run, but Norwalk says the return is
exponential, expected to yield at least $30 million in
tourism spending in return.

“No one has seen much if any leisure promotion of our city
outside our area. So this is the most aggressive without
a doubt, and the most money we will have spent.”

Officials say there is a huge untapped market for upscale
leisure travelers looking to make quick weekend trips from
the other West Coast cities, and they predict Seattle will
prove to be an extremely popular last minute destination.

“Portland, Vancouver, a quick train ride, flight or drive
from San Francisco is not very expensive and we have a lot
to offer those audiences,” says Daniels.

The campaign is also leveraging social media in a unique
way, partnering with the website Klout to bring influential
bloggers to town in exchange for their tweeting or posting
throughout their two day stay.