OLYMPIA – Legislation to provide long-term funding for sustainable tourism promotion in Washington was signed into law today by Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Senate Bill 5492, sponsored by Sen. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane), provides a framework to bring together representatives from key tourism-related sectors to make recommendations to the Legislature for establishing a new sustainable funding model to provide state tourism promotion and programming.
“Attracting more visitors to Spokane and other parts of the state will boost support for our local economy and hospitality industry,” Riccelli said. “I look forward to finding a more sustainable funding model to help make our state a top destination for more travelers. It is clear to me, but we want to make it more known to the rest of the country and world that Spokane and our state have something for everyone!”
The advisory group will include representatives from the lodging, food and beverage, transportation, arts and culture, and attractions sectors. The group will provide written recommendations to the Legislature in November.
“Passage of this bill is a major milestone for Washington’s tourism industry,” said David Blandford, CEO of State of Washington Tourism. “We’re grateful for the leadership of Sen. Riccelli, the Legislature and the governor – and we’ll need their continued support through the rulemaking process and the 2026 legislative session for final approval of a sustainable and competitive state tourism funding model that drives economic impact for Washington for years to come.”
“Sen. Riccelli’s leadership has been critical for the statewide tourism industry this session,” said Rose Noble, President & CEO of Visit Spokane. “We have worked toward more certain and sustainable funding for our state tourism program for many years. Once approved, this kind of a program will deliver year-over-year impact for visitor markets like Spokane and the surrounding regions.”
