Seattle Attempts to Draw More Tourism With Hotel Fee

Beginning in November, a $2 per night per room fee will be applied to hotel guests in the downtown Seattle area. The money will be pooled and collected by the city to fund promotion, advertising, and marketing for leisure tourism, according the city’s website.
Seattle Attempts to Draw More Tourism With Hotel Fee
10/5/2011
Updated:
10/5/2011

Beginning in November, a $2 per night per room fee will be applied to hotel guests in the downtown Seattle area. The money will be pooled and collected by the city to fund promotion, advertising, and marketing for leisure tourism, according the city’s website.

The hotels themselves came to the city requesting the ordinance. Since other sources of funding were drying up, the hotels wanted to keep pace with other cities. Nate Van Duzer, legislative assistant to Councilman Tim Burgess, confirmed in a phone interview that legislation, which will allow hotels to charge this $2 per night fee was initiated after hotels saw other cities using similar methods to increase tourist activity.

“Washington is the only state not to fund tourism promotion efforts, so it is important for the city to step up and develop alternative funding plans,” said Councilman Burgess who spearheaded the initiative, in a press release.

“This initiative will protect the 20,000 hospitality jobs in our city and help to create new ones,” said Burgess, in a press release.