The Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau said it plans to sell $70 million in convention business next year by bringing in up to 60 meeting planners to tour the city.

Hartly Kruger, president of the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, said at the agency’s annual meeting Monday that while Spokane is not yet a household word nationally, 60 percent of the planners who visit Spokane agree to hold a convention in the city.

The agency has hosted 45 planners thus far this year, Kruger reported, selling $65 million in future conventions. The agency estimated that visitors to Spokane will spend $400 million in 1995.

In addition, Hartly said that the CVB next year plans to launch tourism promotions to attract visitors from Phoenix, which is heavily served by America West Airlines, and Minneapolis, served by Northwest Airlines.

Funding for the CVB’s $1.15 million annual budget largely comes from city and county taxpayers, the agency’s 600 private investors and Momentum ‘95. , DataTimes