Sumner Pushes For Share of Tourism Dollars

When Washington state shut down its tourism department in June, citing financial hardship and budget cuts, it became the only state in the nation without a budget and mission to bring people to the state.

While other western states like Montana and California will spend millions on tourism marketing in the next year, Washington’s outdoor attractions, cities and countless businesses will be left to their own devices to attract visitors.

“It’s not good, and very shortsighted,” said Shelly Schlumpf, executive director of the . “If you look at the tourism and hospitality industry in other states … it’s an economic engine. We all realize that and want to support it.”

Tourism is Washington’s fourth-largest export industry and generates tax dollars throughout the region. According to a recent article in The New York Times, state visitor spending increased 7.4 percent over 2009, the second-best year on record. The number of international visitors grew more than 30 percent, one of the fastest rates in the country.

For a town like Sumner, tourism is more than an asset—it’s an essential component of its identity and livelihood.

A report published by the Tacoma Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau showed that in 2009, tourism spending in Sumner accounted for $600,000 in local tax receipts. In 2011, the Rhubarb Pie Capital plans to allocate $50,000 to lodging tourism spending.

The city’s long-term vision for tourism, as stated in the final 2011-2012 budget, is to increase overnight stays at Sumner in the local hotels and increase dining, lodging and shopping opportunities, while using tourism to define and reinforce Sumner’s unique identity. A "tourist" is defined as someone traveling from 50 miles away or more.

“It’s a big business and counts for jobs in town. Tourists come see what’s special about community and it helps keep our identity,” said Carmen Palmer, communications director for Sumner.

To fill the gap statewide, the Washington Tourism Alliance, a nonprofit entity, was founded. Established by state tourism stakeholders and outside government politics, the WTA is building momentum through building an executive management structure and preparing to take control of the now-defunct state tourism website. Its members include the Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (TRCVB) and the Washington Lodging Association.

Schlumpf and Palmer are both board members of the TRCVB and are determined to keep Puyallup and Sumner on the forefront of state tourism priorities.

“We’re sort of under the tent, we’re with the folks making sure our state has a tourism alliance, so that doesn’t just disappear,” said Schlumpf. “In that sense, being part of the [WTA], we are actively helping support tourism in the state.”

Within the past year, Sumner worked hard to establish itself as the Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World, through events like , the and the opening of the nostalgic , located inside .

“The [Puyallup/Sumner] Chamber of Commerce is beyond actively involved, to make sure we are meeting the needs of those who come to our area,” said Schlumpf. “In Sumner, what we’re trying to do is keep the ‘rhubarb capital’ on the forefront of peoples’ minds.”

Schlumpf said almost 4,000 people go through the Old Cannery every month, which made it an opportune place for the visitors’ center. While the center remains unmanned except for holidays, Schlumpf said the visitor pamphlets have been going quickly and the calls to her office have increased. Visitors from as far away as Las Vegas and North Carolina have signed the guest book but a majority come from the Puyallup and Sumner area. The book is a tool for local businesses to know who’s coming through the area, said Schlumpf. While the visitor percentages have not been processed yet, more than eight pages of sign-ins have been captured.

Interestingly enough, Schlumpf said many of the people passing through her offices asking for local information are not tourists, but prospective neighbors. This has sparked an idea called "Welcome Home," a relocation service offered through the chamber office to help transplants get acquainted with all Puyallup and Sumner have to offer.

“Our biggest audiences for that right now are hospital employees and people from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. They are hiring fast and furious,” said Schulmpf.

The chamber plans to launch a free 'Welcome Home' tour in the fall, led by local real estate and neighborhood experts; employees are already working with soon-to-be-locals on a case-by-case referral basis.

Schlumpf and Palmer are continuing to fight for the Rhubarb Capital and say they will continue to follow interesting leads with culinary tourism, event marketing and opportunities through the TRCVB.

“We are always working with other groups. I can’t think of any [project] or marketing event that stands alone,” said Palmer. “That synergy allows us to keep going, even when the state doesn’t.”