Bill > SB5492

This bill addresses sustainable state tourism promotion by establishing a process to evaluate and potentially implement an industry-funded assessment mechanism for tourism marketing. The bill recognizes the tourism industry as Washington's fourth-largest economic sector, generating $23.9 billion annually and supporting over 230,000 jobs, and notes that current state funding ($4.5 million per fiscal year) is less than competitive states receive. The legislation creates a tourism self-supported assessment advisory group consisting of eight members representing different tourism-related sectors, such as lodging, beverages, arts and culture, tour operators, attractions, and transportation. This advisory group is tasked with recommending details about a potential self-supported assessment, including which businesses would be included, the assessment methodology, rates, duration, and an oversight board structure. The bill also makes technical amendments to the existing tourism marketing authority's governance structure, such as modifying board appointment processes and clarifying membership requirements. The advisory group is required to submit recommendations to the legislature by November 1, 2025, with the provision expiring on June 1, 2026. The underlying goal is to create a sustainable, industry-driven funding mechanism for statewide tourism promotion that can potentially generate significant economic returns, as previous tourism marketing efforts have demonstrated $29 in visitor expenditures and $3 in tax revenue for every $1 invested.