How Tourism Benefits the San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are among the most naturally spectacular places on the planet. And while the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau's (SJIVB) primary job is to promote visitation, we do our best to balance visitor impacts by striving to attract thoughtful visitors and educate all to “tread lightly." These are among the many challenges of island-style responsible tourism marketing and management.

How does tourism benefit San Juan County?

• Travel and tourism is a major economic driver for our county. Visitors spent more than $299 million in San Juan County in 2023. Tourism also directly supports more than 1,505 jobs which translates to nearly $77 million in salaries and business owner income. (Sources: Tourism Economics)
• Visitors also pay taxes, which reduce residents' taxes. Taxes collected from visitors include sales and lodging tax. These taxes help support vital civil services, inside and outside the tourism sector. In 2023, tourism contributed $10.2 million in local taxes, which resulted in $2,752 in tax savings per household. 
• Lodging tax, which is used to fund tourism marketing and management projects, also helps to keep our local non-profit organizations such as art and historical museums, and cultural and performing arts centers, open. Recipients of lodging tax funds have also historically included the San Juan County Fair, County Parks, museums, community theatres/centers, literary and music events, farmers markets, film festivals, and much more. 
• These funds also have been used locally for Public Works to upgrade infrastructure for visitors and residents such as trails and parking lots.
• Lodging tax also supports shoulder and quiet season advertising campaigns which extend the window in which visitors come, making year-round jobs more viable in more than just the tourism sector.

Why should public funds be used to promote tourism?

• The funding used to promote tourism in San Juan County is collected from visitors who overnight here, not residents. Although it is considered public funding, it doesn’t come from residents' taxes and yet residents greatly benefit from the parks, museums and cultural centers which receive “public” lodging taxes. Washington State law strictly limits the use of lodging tax. (RCW 67.28.180)
• Destination marketing and management organizations, such as the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, exist to create interest in visiting an area. Once the interest in visiting in a responsible way is established, individual businesses may more effectively market their own business. This public/private funding model of tourism promotion is quite common in towns, cities, counties, states and countries around the world.

With all the beautiful parks, beaches and free things to do in the Islands, why do we have to promote tourism? Wouldn't people come anyway?

• The San Juan Islands are fortunate to be home to an exceptional mix of natural environments, amenities and attractions. We are a renowned destination for hiking, biking, kayaking and whale watching enthusiasts. And while most visitors who choose to vacation here rank nature and wildlife as a big draw, our research confirms that the diverse non-nature amenities -- restaurants, galleries, cultural venues, boutiques, museums and variety of lodgings, etc. -- are also what makes the Islands so popular and diverse.
• Research has shown that when you stop promoting a destination, its economy quickly feels the impact. The destination loses market share to competing destinations with healthy marketing budgets. This happened to Washington State when it closed its state tourism office from 2011 to 2018, and to Colorado years earlier.
• Without the promotion of these Islands and amenities, we cannot compete for tourism dollars that help to sustain businesses, create jobs, and support vital civil services in the San Juan Islands. 

Questions or comments?

Please contact:  Deborah Hoskinson, Executive Director, deborah@visitsanjuans.com or 360-378-3277 ext. 5.