State Tourism Programs.
Tourism Promotion Areas.
Beginning in 2003 certain counties, cities, and towns created Tourism Promotion Areas to generate revenue for tourism promotion through a charge of up to $5 per room per night on lodging businesses with 40 or more rooms. Revenue is deposited into the Local Tourism Promotion Account, and must be used for "tourism promotion," defined as activities and expenditures to increase tourism and convention business.
Washington Tourism Marketing Authority.
The Washington Tourism Marketing Authority (Authority) was established in 2018 to contract for statewide tourism marketing services to promote tourism in the state. The Authority is governed by a board of directors (Board) consisting of four members of the Legislature and nine representatives, appointed by the Governor, with expertise in the tourism industry and related businesses, including hotel, restaurant, outdoor recreation, attractions, retail, and rental car businesses. The chair of the Board must be a member of the tourism industry or related business. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) provides staff support for the Authority. The Board has a nonvoting four-member advisory committee, including Commerce, the State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Department of Transportation, and a federally recognized Indian tribe. The Authority's contract to promote tourism is required to include focuses on rural tourism-dependent counties, natural wonders and outdoor recreation opportunities of the state, attraction of international tourists, identification of local offerings for tourists, and assistance for tourism areas adversely impacted by natural disasters.
Statewide Tourism Marketing Account.
The Statewide Tourism Marketing Account (Account) is funded from tax revenues on lodging, car rentals, and restaurants. Revenue collected may be expended only to implement the statewide tourism program and operation of the Authority. A one-to-one match must be provided for all expenditures from the Account to be used for a statewide tourism marketing plan, evaluation of the program, and the administrative expenses of the Authority. Until July 1, 2025, 0.2 percent of the tax revenues were deposited into the Account, the Legislature was required to authorize the deposit, and the Account was limited to $3 million per biennium. After July 1, 2025, the Legislature is not required to authorize the deposit.
Tourism Self-Supported Assessment Advisory Group.
The Authority appointed members to a Tourism Self-Supported Assessment Advisory Group (Group) in 2025, which was required to evaluate the viability of an industry self-supported assessment to fund statewide tourism promotion. The Group submitted its recommendations in a report titled Tourism Self-Supported Assessment Advisory Group: Report to the Legislature on October 31, 2025.
Public Records.
The Public Records Act (PRA) requires all state agencies to make all public records available to the public, unless a specific exemption applies or disclosure is prohibited. Public records are records prepared or retained by an agency that relate to the conduct of government or the performance of a governmental function. The PRA exempts certain financial, commercial, and proprietary information. The PRA must be liberally construed; any exemptions to the disclosure requirement must be interpreted narrowly. Exemptions are permissive, meaning that an agency, although not required to disclose, has the discretion to provide an exempt record.
Tourism Assessment Program.
The Authority is authorized to establish a Tourism Assessment Program (TAP), subject to review by the Director of Commerce, that is designed, proposed, and governed by the Ratepayer Oversight Board (ROB), described below. The Authority is required to levy and collect a percentage of a business's gross revenue as an annual assessment. The assessments will be collected on an annual basis, after ratification by the businesses in each industry sector.
The membership of the Authority's Board is modified by expanding the number of members from 13 to 17, and specifying the non-legislative membership as follows:
The Authority, with review of the Director of Commerce, is required to approve an annual budget for the TAP. The Authority is required to approve or reject the budget recommended by the ROB and may not amend, replace, or independently adopt policies or provisions not submitted by the ROB. The budget is required to include:
A regular audit of the budget is required to be conducted by the State Auditor.
The Authority is required to submit an annual report to the Legislature and the Governor.
The Authority is required to adopt rules and give substantial weight to the recommendations in the October 31, 2025, report titled Tourism Self-Supported Assessment Advisory Group: Report to the Legislature and the ROB's proposal. The rules do not apply to federally recognized Indian tribes, businesses, or enterprises unless the tribe or tribal member has opted to participate in the TAP.
The state and its agents are immune from liability for obligations incurred by the Authority or the ROB. Liabilities and claims against the Authority or ROB are only enforceable against the assets of the Authority or ROB as if it were a corporation. The liability of the members of the Authority and ROB are several, not joint, and no member shall be liable for the default of any other member.
Ratepayer Oversight Board.
The Authority is required to appoint an initial 10-member ROB. The Group is required to prepare a list of nominees for the initial ROB membership. The initial ROB members must include two representatives for each of the tourism business sectors: lodging, travel services, attractions, recreation, beverage producers, full-service restaurants, and retailer locations. An ROB nominee must be an employee or officer of a business proposed to be subject to the assessment. An ROB member may be removed by the Authority, with the review of the Director of Commerce, for inefficiency, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or four unexcused absences in one year. The initial ROB members are required to serve for six months or until the referendum is completed. Vacancies must be filled by appointment. The ROB must elect a chair and meet at least quarterly.
The initial ROB must design and propose the nomination process for its subsequent membership, which must be ratified by the affected businesses.
The ROB is required to design and propose the tourism assessment funds and programming, develop an annual budget and expenditure plan, develop an annual report to the Authority and Legislature, monitor the program effectiveness and recommend adjustments, and govern the TAP.
The ROB is directed to design and propose the assessment program, which must include:
Annual Assessment on Businesses.
The Authority is required to collect assessments annually and deposit the money into two accounts, the Tourism Assessment Account (Assessment Account) and the Tourism Assessment Program Reimbursement Account (Reimbursement Account). The affected tourism business sector must complete a referendum process before assessments are collected, described below. "Assessment" is defined as "the annual fee levied on tourism businesses to fund tourism promotion." "Tourism business" is defined as "businesses that derive a significant portion of revenue from tourism activity in Washington in the following sectors: (a) lodging; (b) travel services; (c) attractions; (d) recreation; (e) beverage producers; (f) full-service restaurant locations with revenue exceeding $5 million per year; and (g) retailer locations with revenues exceeding $5 million per year."
The Authority is required to conduct a referendum among all businesses affected by the proposed assessment program within three years of enactment of the legislation. If the referendum is not successful, the Authority may continue to resubmit the same proposal or modify its proposal. For the referendum to be approved, each assessed business is entitled to a weighted vote equal to the amount the business will pay. The initial referendum must be approved by a majority of the weighted votes. The assessment does not apply to federally recognized Indian tribes, businesses, or enterprises unless the tribe or tribal member has opted to participate in the TAP.
The distribution of the assessments collected from the businesses must first be deposited into the Reimbursement Account. The Reimbursement Account must reimburse the Authority for the costs of the referendum process; Commerce for its administrative assistance to the Authority and its service as the fiscal agent for the Authority; the preparation of the ROB's budget; the regular audit of the ROB's budget; and the Authority's enforcement costs. These costs must be paid for by the Authority, regardless of the passage or failure of the referendum. Commerce is directed to provide administrative assistance and serve as the fiscal agent for the Authority until June 30, 2030.
Remaining assessments collected from the businesses are deposited into the Assessment Account. The funds in the Assessment Account are not state funds and are not subject to legislative appropriation. The funds must be used for tourism promotion, which is defined as programs, projects, and activities undertaken to advertise, market, encourage, and support travel to and within the state and to strengthen or improve the visitor economy, industry, communities, or regions. Tourism promotion includes, but is not limited to:
A business's failure to pay an assessment is a personal debt. The Authority has the discretion to impose a penalty up to 10 percent of the unpaid assessment and bring a civil action in court to recover unpaid assessments.
Statewide Tourism Marketing Plan.
The Authority's statewide tourism marketing plan must be equitably inclusive of diverse communities across the state, particularly tribal nations, rural communities, and population centers that historically have not been consulted in the development of destination marketing efforts by the state. The marketing plan elements are required to include historically and culturally unique communities.
Public Records Act Exemption.
Financial and commercial information submitted to the Authority and the ROB, and related to the TAP, is exempt from disclosure under the PRA. The exemption does not apply to general statistical summaries that do not identify individual businesses.
(In support) The state is not devoting nearly enough resources to tourism. Tourism is declining in Washington compared to neighboring states, which are spending more on tourism. Tourism spending took until 2024 to reach pre-COVID levels. Local community members welcome the idea of the industry assessing itself to create a program to promote tourism. It is a model by and for the industry, and can bring in $25 million of sustainable funds that will allow the state to compete nationally and internationally. Promoting FIFA and the Seahawks will help bring visitors to the whole state that no single business could achieve alone.
Tourism is vital to the success of hotels and restaurants. There are unique destinations to visit in Washington, including breweries and wineries. Visitors statewide help small businesses. Rural destinations cannot participate meaningfully without state support. The Port of Seattle is also promoting tourism, through the airport and cruise terminals. The businesses will set the assessment rate, which can be passed to the visitors, and will target the sectors that target tourism. It is robust, sustainable, and fair, and modeled after California where businesses voted to renew the assessment.
(Opposed) Affordability is a big issue, and this proposes more taxes above those placed on businesses last year. Allowing unelected authorities to impose taxes are beholden to the authorities that appointed them. Business owners are taxpayers.
(In support) The amount of tourism promotion funding available to small communities pales in comparison to dollars available to larger neighboring communities. This is a program based off a similar program in California, and the businesses there voted recently to renew their program and to reassess themselves. To encourage tourism in smaller cities, this bill was created. This bill will help small businesses survive, especially in shoulder seasons. The bill involves assessing the businesses with their consent and control. This can return $14.6 billion in visitor spending to Washington. This is a robust, sustainable, and fair way to fund tourism in Washington. Washington wineries and craft breweries have been struggling for the past few years. Tourism is very important to the success of the wine and craft brewery industries in this state. This bill creates a solid framework for tourist dollars that will keep the wine and craft brewery industries thriving.
(Opposed) None.
(In support) Representative Dave Paul, prime sponsor; Shelly Stevens, Tri County Economic Development District; David Blandford, State of Washington Tourism; Annie McGrath, State of Washington Tourism; Anthony Anton, Washington Hospitality Association; Josh McDonald, Washington Wine Institute; Daniel Olson, WA Brewers Guild; and Nick Leonti, Port of Seattle.
Representative Dave Paul, prime sponsor; Mike Moe, State of Washington Tourism; Annie McGrath, State of Washington Tourism; Anthony Anton, Washington Hospitality Association; Josh McDonald, Washington Wine Institute; and Daniel Olson, Washington Brewers Guild.