Tourism could be hit by I-5 delays

  • By Michelle Dunlop Herald Writer
  • Friday, May 24, 2013 9:01pm
  • Business

The fallen Skagit River bridge lies between Snohomish County and some of the area’s top tourism spenders, who drive south from Vancouver, B.C.

Just as the vacation season heats up, traffic is winding slowly along a detour in Mount Vernon, and delays could discourage visitors. This weekend will be telling.

“We definitely are concerned about the impact this will have in Snohomish County,” said Amy Spain, executive director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau.

When disaster has struck in other areas of the country, Spain said, tourism in those areas has been affected by public perception. If travelers hear of long delays, they get discouraged. But if visitors only have to drive an extra 30 minutes on a trip that typically takes three hours, they’re likely still to make the journey, Spain said.

Last year, visitors to Snohomish County spent $875.8 million, according to a March report by Dean Runyan and Associates. Restaurants were the biggest beneficiaries of those tourism dollars — to the tune of $244.2 million.

Travelers from Vancouver, B.C., make up Snohomish County’s third-largest market, Spain said. And they spend more than double that of people from, say, King County or Portland. That’s because most Vancouver travelers stay a night or two in area hotels and spend money at shopping centers like Seattle Premium Outlets at Tulalip.

Ken Kettler, president of the Tulalip Resort Casino, was keeping an eye on traffic Friday evening. At that point, he was hearing that drivers were having to spend an additional 40 minutes coming south. The resort was updating travel information on its website and social media channels.

“It’s going to take a little extra travel time,” he said.

About 20 percent of the Tulalip resort’s business comes from Vancouver tourists, Kettler said. Most of the casino’s visitors, though, are from the south — Marysville, Everett, North Seattle. Canadians “love to shop” and stay at the resort, he said. Kettler was optimistic about the Vancouver crowd.

“They’re explorers,” he said.

Tourism director Spain suggested that several Snohomish County businesses could benefit while the bridge is being repaired. Workers who will rebuild the bridge will need hotel rooms, food from local restaurants and fuel at area gas stations.

On Friday afternoon, at least, one Skagit County business along the alternate travel route already was seeing a boost.

Traffic along Best Road in front Rexville Grocery was busier than during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, said Joyce Welch, one of the owners.

“It is like I-5 out here,” Welch said, noting she’d never seen more traffic in her 14 years at Rexville.

The store called in extra help to deal with the influx of customers. Typically open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Rexville Grocery could stay open longer to accommodate the extra people coming through.

Michelle Dunlop: 425-339-3454; mdunlop@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.