It’s no secret that tourism industry has been significantly impacted by the pandemic, but the recently released 2021 tourism economic impacts numbers show that travel is making a strong recovery in the Tri-Cities.
Visitor spending in the Tri-Cities exceeded $489 million in 2021, a 41-percent increase over 2020, and only 1.5% away from the Tri-Cities’ best year, which was 2019. Spending was up in all categories measured – lodging, food and beverage, transportation, recreation and retail. “The proof is in the numbers; people love to visit the Tri-Cities and they’re excited to include our community in their vacation plans as they return to travel,” said Michael Novakovich, President & CEO of Visit Tri-Cities. “We know the Tri-Cities is an amazing place to live, work and play thanks to our great weather, rivers, outdoor recreation, culinary and agricultural experiences, golf, wine and more. But it’s so rewarding to know that visitors from throughout the Pacific Northwest enjoy our unique and vibrant region.” Visitor spending in 2021 resulted in $51 million in local and state tourism-generated sales tax revenue. The tax revenue generated by visitors helps fund police and fire, teachers and schools, the maintenance of our roadways and the beautification of our parks and reduces individual Tri-Citians household tax burden by over $500. In short, the visitor economy enhances quality of life that touches every single Tri-Citian. The impact of tourism goes beyond visitor spending. “As tourism grows in the Tri-Cities region, it strengthens the local economy, fuels prosperity and generates meaningful employment opportunities,” said Novakovich. “In fact, tourism is one of the region’s largest and strongest economic sectors, contributing more than 4,739 jobs.” The Economic Impacts of Visitors in Washington State Report is a compilation of survey data from Longwoods International; the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics by industry; STR lodging performance data; tax collections, including lodging tax receipts; US Census business sales by industry and seasonal second homes; and international travel data for overseas, Canadian and Mexican travel to the US, based on aviation, survey and credit card information.
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To enhance the wine tasting experience of the community, Visit Tri-Cities has released the “Heart of Washington Wine Country Pass,” featuring award-winning wineries throughout the region!
The Heart of Washington Wine Country offers experiences from nine participating wineries throughout the Tri-Cities including famed locations like Red Mountain and Prosser, the birthplace of Washington wine. Passholders enjoy significant savings, the face value of the experiences offered is more than $150, but the pass price starts at $42. “We’re thrilled to launch the Heart of Washington Wine Country pass,” said Michael Novakovich, President & CEO of Visit Tri-Cities. “It creates the opportunity to promote the Tri-Cities as a premier wine destination in the Pacific Northwest by showcasing our winery partners.” Wine enthusiasts have three pass options, at different price points: 1-day for $42; 3-day for $68; or 90-days for $85. The pass is available for purchase at Visit Tri-Cities.com under the deals section and is instantly delivered to your phone via text and email and it is ready to use upon receipt. When passholders visit a participating winery, they just show the pass to collect the special offer. The Heart of Washington Wine Country pass makes a great experience even better. To purchase your Heart of Washington Wine Country Pass and plan your Tri-Cities wine weekend, check out visittri-cities.com/deals/. Visit Tri-Cities is now accepting nominations for outstanding individuals or businesses who have enhanced the tourism industry through their excellent customer service skills. One outstanding individual or tourism-related business will receive the Excellence in Service Award, a prestigious acknowledgement that celebrates members of the Tri-Cities tourism and service industry for their ongoing commitment to go above and beyond in providing outstanding customer service.
“Excellent customer service is more important than ever as we anticipate 2022 being the best year for leisure tourism in the Tri-Cities,” said Michael Novakovich, President & CEO of Visit Tri-Cities. “We know that customer service will be just as important to visitors as the attractions and amenities available in our community. We look forward to recognizing those individuals and businesses that give the Tri-Cities a competitive edge by providing amazing experiences not just for leisure travel, but for conventions, meetings and sports events.” Visitor spending in the Tri-Cities hit $489.3 million in 2021, which sustains 4,739 jobs in Benton and Franklin counties and supports a thriving local business economy. Visitors also generated $51.2 million in State and local taxes. The tax revenue generated by visitors helps fund police and fire, teachers and schools, the maintenance of our roadways and the beautification of our parks and reduces individual Tri-Citians household tax burden by over $500. In short, the visitor economy enhances quality of life that touches every single Tri-Citian. The deadline for nominations is September 1, 2022, at that time nominations will be reviewed by the Visit Tri-Cities nominating committee. Once selected, the recipient will be honored at the Visit Tri-Cities Annual Meeting on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, where they will accept the award, as well as receive a $500 gift card sponsored by Battelle. Kathy Nutt, Wine Club Concierge of Frichette Winery, earned the honor in 2021. Kathy not only provides an amazing customer experience, but she is also a true Tri-Cities ambassador. By enthusiastically sharing local experiences and recommendations for dining out, outdoor recreation, performing arts, and more with visitors, Kathy creates a memorable experience and earned this prestigious recognition. Previous winners include The Lodge at Columbia Point, Red Mountain Trails, the Tri-City Dust Devils, Frost Me Sweet and more! It’s a wide range of businesses but what they all have in common is their commitment to providing an enhanced visitor experience and when visitors experience outstanding service, we all benefit! For more information or to fill out a nomination form, visit: VisitTri-Cities.com/TCexcellence. Join Visit Tri-Cities in sharing and celebrating the value tourism holds for the local economy, businesses and quality of life for residents during National Travel and Tourism Week, May 2-7, 2022!
This year’s theme is “The Future of Travel” and the best way to ensure the future of the local tourism-related attractions and businesses, places we all love and enjoy, is for the community to experience tourism in the Tri-Cities! Each day throughout Tourism Week, we will share ideas and activities to support the Tri-Cities tourism industry. Visit Tri-Cities will explore a variety of tourism-related themes throughout the week: Monday of Excellence (May 2), announcing the launch of our 2022 Excellence in Service program; Together Tuesday (May 3), highlighting group activities throughout the Tri-Cities; Water & Weather Wednesday (May 4), showcasing outdoor recreation; Thirsty Thursday (May 5), exploring the craft beverage scene; Foodie Friday (May 6), tasting through the Tri-Cities; Cinco Saturday (May 7), celebrating Hispanic culture in the Tri-Cities. It’s not truly a celebration without a contest and outstanding prizes! Visitors and residents are invited to share their photos of their favorite Tri-Cities experience on Facebook and Instagram using hashtag #TCTourism for a chance to win amazing prizes including three airfare packages from Avelo Airlines (@aveloair)! Photos will be judged by a secret group of tourism experts, so post the best of the best! Details are available at Visit Tri-Cities’ Tourism Week page. Tourism is fun and games, literally, but it is also an impactful and a vital component of the Tri-Cities economy. Each year, visitors spend $489.3 million in Benton and Franklin counties which generates $51.2 million in State and local taxes. These new dollars to the community support a thriving local business economy and 4,739 jobs in the Tri-Cities. The tax revenue generate by visitors helps fund police and fire, teachers and schools, the maintenance of our roadways and the beautification of our parks and reduces individual Tri-Citians household tax burden by over $500. In short, the visitor economy enhances quality of life that touches every single Tri-Citian. Find ways to celebrate Tri-Cities Tourism at VisitTri-Cities.com/tourism-week/. The City of Kennewick is planning for an improvement project at the intersection of N. Steptoe St. and Gage Blvd. this year. The project will construct double left turn lanes and single right turn lanes on all approaches (where not existing). Additional work includes improving signal operations and turning movements, updating ADA ramps, and upgrading lighting. A grant through Benton Franklin Council of Governments and the Federal Highway Administration has awarded funding to the City to acquire right-of-way, provide design engineering and construction for these improvements.
Project Schedule The planning process began in 2020 for right-of-way and design. Timing for construction is summer/fall of 2022 for this project. The project could potentially be extended through spring of 2023 depending on weather and contractor availability. What to Expect The next phase will be utility relocates. Benton PUD will be moving poles along the east side, as well as relocating underground utilities. Cascade Natural Gas will be eliminating their above-ground metering station in the northwest corner as well. Underground water utilities will also need to be relocated on the southwest corner of the intersection. An open house is scheduled for Wednesday, May 4, 2022 from 5 – 7pm at Sunset View Elementary School for an opportunity for property owners, stakeholders, and the public to see the plans and ask questions to City staff. Project Updates The City's Current Projects web page will provide information during the construction phase at the following link: https://www.go2kennewick.com/597/Projects Please contact the City of Kennewick Public Works Department with any questions (509)585-5385. ![]() Prosser Memorial Health is excited to welcome Juliet Dennis, PMHNP-BC, to our team of providers at the Grandview clinic! Originally from southern California, Juliet moved to Washington to attend Washington State University, where she received her BS in psychology. She later went on to receive her bachelor’s in nursing from Western Governor’s University, and recently graduated from Frontier Nursing University with her master’s in nursing. Juliet started as a Registered Nurse in an Intensive Care Unit. It was while doing this work, she saw the need for more mental health focused care. Juliet decided to continue her education and become a PMHN to help fill this gap. Juliet understands the growing need for mental healthcare and does her best to make each of her patients feel comfortable and safe. She is excited to care for patients of all ages and expand access to mental health services within the community. Outside of work, Juliet enjoys spending her free time outdoors with her family, traveling, or simply relaxing with a puzzle or good book. Juliet will be providing a variety of psychiatric services at the Grandview Clinic, including medication management, referrals, and counseling for mental disorders like anxiety and depression. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit prosserhealth.org or call our Grandview clinic at (509) 203-1080. Port of Kennewick and its Vista Field investment partners, City of Kennewick and Benton County, invite everyone to a grand opening celebration for the Vista Field urban town center on Thursday, June 16, at 2:30 p.m.
Attendees will help open the site and enjoy food trucks, a photo booth and music. They will be among the first to walk the streamside promenade, drive across the new Crosswind Boulevard, and discover Vista Field’s many public amenities, including fountains, pedestrian bridges, a pond, a commercial plaza, tree-filled landscaping and more. Immediately following the opening festivities, Kennewick Fire Department’s new Vista Field Station #3 will also be open for tours. WHAT: Vista Field Opening Day Celebration WHEN: Thursday, June 16, beginning at 2:30 p.m. WHERE: Vista Field – 6600 W. Deschutes Avenue, Kennewick, WA 99336 (Enter from Deschutes Avenue; other roadways will open following event.) RSVP: Attendees are asked to RSVP to [email protected] Vista Field will blend mixed-use neighborhoods with urban lifestyle amenities. Port of Kennewick is following a community-driven master plan with the goal of transforming 103 acres into a vibrant, regional town center. Once the entire site is complete, economic projections indicate redevelopment could mean nearly 1,000 residential units, 740,000 square feet of commercial space, more than $500 million in private-sector investment, $51 million in new infrastructure, $408 million in new (taxable) buildings, and 3,380 jobs. Muret-Gaston Winery will open a new tasting at Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village in June.
Located at 313 E. Columbia Gardens Way #120 off East Columbia Drive in Kennewick, the Muret-Gaston tasting room’s hours of operation will align with the other Columbia Gardens wineries: Bartholomew Winery, Monarcha Winery and Gordon Estate Winery. In addition to the Muret-Gaston collection of red and white wines, owners and winemakers Kyle and Amy Johnson will serve wines from their Purple Star label by the bottle or glass at the Columbia Gardens tasting room. “We’ve been behind the vision of Columbia Gardens from the start,” said Amy Johnson Muret-Gaston, proprietor, director and fellow winemaker. “The waterfront and downtown Kennewick are exploding with potential, and we are excited to be a part of it.” Learn more about the winery and wines at muret-gaston.com. Visit the winery’s Instagram instagram.com/muretgastonwinery?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= and Facebook facebook.com/MuretGastonwines pages for hours, specials and events once the tasting room opens. To learn more about the Port of Kennewick’s Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village development, please visit columbiagardens.org. Port of Benton is holding a recognition ceremony to honor the original crew members aboard USS Triton (SSRN 586) during the submarine’s historic Operation Sandblast mission.
The ceremony is Thursday, May 12 at 10 a.m. at the USS Triton Sail Park, 3300 Port of Benton Boulevard in Richland – the same week Triton surfaced off the coast of Delaware following its successful 1960 mission to circumnavigate the globe, entirely submerged and undetected. The top-secret expedition proved invaluable to the U.S., gathering valuable oceanographic data and demonstrating the crew’s endurance and the submarine’s technical capabilities during the Cold War. Triton’s 75-foot-long sail and conning tower are on display at the USS Triton Sail Park to honor submariners and highlight the significance of Triton’s impact on the Nuclear Age. The sail park overlooks the port’s barge slip and high dock where the U.S. Navy transfers nuclear reactor compartments from decommissioned vessels (including Triton) onshore for delivery to the nearby Hanford Site for permanent storage. About USS Triton (586) and Operation Sandblast Triton was one of the first nuclear-powered submarines, operated solely by dual nuclear reactors, direct descendants of Hanford reactors, including the B Reactor. At the time of Triton’s commissioning in 1959, it was considered the largest, most powerful and most expensive submarine ever built. The submerged circumnavigation covered 26,723 nautical miles between February 24 to April 25, 1960, and generally followed the route explorer Ferdinand Magellan had attempted to navigate in 1521. Once the journey around the world was complete, Triton remained underwater, continued to Spain, where a plaque was presented to honor Magellan’s and Triton’s historic voyages, then arrived in Delaware and surfaced on May 10, 1960. President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented Capt. Edward Beach with the Legion of Merit and Triton’s crew received the Presidential Unit Citation. The New York Times described Triton’s mission as “a triumph of human prowess and engineering skill, a feat which the United States Navy can rank as one of its bright victories in man’s ultimate conquest of the seas.” Washington State University announced today a landmark $20 million gift from Edmund and Beatriz Schweitzer, and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). These investments will support the success of the next generation of students at WSU’s Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture.
The Schweitzers and SEL are each contributing $10 million toward the construction of the Voiland College’s new student success building on WSU’s Pullman campus. When complete, the facility will be a central hub where engineering and design students can innovate, collaborate with faculty and each other, and have access to advising, technology, and other activities that are foundational to their success at college and beyond. “An investment of this magnitude is a game-changer for the Voiland College and for the entire WSU system,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz. “When people like Ed, Beatriz, and the employee-owners of SEL make a generous commitment like this, it is a resounding endorsement for all of our talented faculty, staff, and students in the college and across the WSU system. “We are grateful for the leadership this generous investment represents and look forward to seeing it make a tangible difference in the educational experience for students for decades to come,” Schulz added. In recognition of this transformational contribution from the Schweitzers and SEL, WSU will name the new facility Schweitzer Engineering Hall. This investment represents the single-largest philanthropic commitment received by the Voiland College and is among the largest private investments in WSU history. ”Education leads to dreams, innovations, and new realities. WSU professors Mosher, Szablya, Baker, Flechsig, Hower, Seamans, Rigas, and many others opened my mind and the minds of thousands of students,” said SEL President Edmund O. Schweitzer III. “Beatriz and I are grateful for this opportunity to grow the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture.” According to SEL Chief Executive Officer Dave Whitehead, this commitment represents an exciting new chapter in a long-standing and successful partnership with WSU. “SEL is pleased to partner with Ed and Beatriz to make this significant investment in engineering students at WSU,” said Whitehead. “Our connection with the university runs deep, from Ed’s days as a WSU grad student and professor, to many years of research collaborations. Hundreds of Cougs have joined SEL and contributed to our collective success over the years, with nearly 450 WSU alums currently employed by SEL.” “The new building and the learning opportunities that come with it will increase WSU’s pipeline of engineering students and create a new legacy of exceptional engineering education for decades to come,” Whitehead added. |
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