Tourism is important

I was pleased to read Jim Kershner’s article describing what “ordinary” visitors to our community did while they were in town for “The Lion King.” Yes, we know those “breathless predictions” of visitor spending dollars seem exaggerated to many people in our community, but the three-day “real time” account of what these visitors spent is a perfect example of why tourism matters.

No matter what the reason a visitor comes to our community – convention, shopping trip or sporting event or Broadway show – they spend money and lots of it.

So hopefully, when the state puts out its report of visitor spending in Spokane County ($832 million spent and 10,112 jobs created in 2008) everyone will know that tourism and visits to Spokane County are economic development. It’s just a little more invisible to the general public.

Harry Sladich

Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau