I know it doesn’t seem like it, but summer is just around the corner. With higher temps and school vacations comes the increase in visitors to our region. Depending who you are and where you live you might have differing opinions about these surging crowds, but there is no denying that these happy visitors are making an impact on our economy.

At the May Business Forum Luncheon (May 24th), we will be presenting a countywide State of Tourism event.   Scheduled speakers, including those from Westport, Ocean Shores and Grays Harbor County will present on the economic impact of tourism on their community. We’ll also have a keynote presentation by Washington Tourism Alliance Board Chair Andi Day. You can register for this event by using this link.

The GGHI Economic Vitality Index (EVI) report, presented in June 2021 noted that the Hospitality sector is the 4th largest industry when it comes to employment in our county. Data from 2020 indicated over 2,500 workers in this industry and we anticipate it will be in even higher when we present 2021 data in June.

When we say tourism you mind might think hotels and restaurants, but it also outdoor recreation assets. Outdoor recreation accounts for over 200,000 jobs in our state! More information on the economic impact of outdoor recreation can be found at this report out of the Governor’s Office.

These jobs represent your neighbors, family members and the young adults in our community. Supporting our hospitality and tourism sector to include local restaurants, hotels and outdoor recreations assets is a great way to support our local economy.

How do you know where to start?  Use our website to help you navigate the Harbor.

  • Start with our Visit page and select if you are looking for an adventure, a meal or a trip away from the house.
  • Check out our community sourced calendar to find out what is going on in the area to add to your agenda.
  • Scroll through our original blog posts to get ideas on adventures, places to visit and businesses to support.
  • And of course follow the Discover Grays Harbor communication assets to include Instagram and Facebook.
  • Have patience and give grace. Busy is a good thing for our businesses, but they are operating short staffed. Let’s give them a high-five for their resiliency and compliment their tenacity to keeping our neighbors employed and our community vibrant.

Are you a business looking to attract visitors and locals alike during this busy season?

  • Add an event to our publicly accessible, community sourced calendar. Use the “+” button just above the calendar to submit your event.
  • GGHI Members can add “Hot Deals” to our social media and website by logging into their Member Information Center (MIC). To learn how to do this as well as post member news and jobs check out this video on our FB page or this tutorial.  Not a member? Contact Stephanie Conway at our office to learn more and access these business tools.
  • Use your social media accounts and keep them up to date! Post pictures of your food, wares, and experiences. Set yourself up to do this 2-3 times per week. Here is a free workshop we did last year to help businesses to prepare for the summer tourism season.

We hope to see you on May 24th at the Business Forum Luncheon featuring the State of Tourism and of course we can’t wait to see you out in the community supporting our businesses.