Traveler Sentiment Update; March 2, 2021
"Tactics & Successful Campaigns to reach consumers"
Dave Bratton & Erin Francis-Cummings share some recent questions answered from the Coronavirus Travel Sentiment Index Report. This week’s event featured a discussion with a panel of professionals from renowned marketing and advertising agencies. Come learn what makes a campaign successful right now and the tactics they use to reach consumers.
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With first anniversary of Canada-U.S. border closure approaching, border towns in U.S. are counting the ways in which the absence of Canadian shoppers is hurting economically.
“We miss you so badly,” said Sandy Ward, CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism. “Please, please, please, come back.” She said: “We’ve been devastated by the closure of the border. And it’s not just Canadians who are no longer coming to the northwest corner of the U.S. It’s Californians, Oregonians and Washingtonians, all of whom used to travel through the area to take a ferry to Victoria or drive through the land border crossings on their way to Vancouver, Whistler or Alaska.”
Read full article here.
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Local Updates and Opportunities
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$240 Million in New Bill to Fund Business Grants
Application Portal Should Open Late March
Governor Inslee signed House Bill 1368, which allocates $240,000,000 of the general fund for additional grants to small businesses through the Department of Commerce's Working Washington grant program, with an application portal expected to open in late March.
Find more information on small business COVID relief here.
Grants of up to $75,000 will help businesses maintain operations and reopen businesses that were temporarily closed due to the Governor's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order.
The bill provides $150,000,000 to help businesses maintain their operations and to be eligible, the business must:
- Apply for or have applied for the grant;
- Have reported annual gross receipts of $5,000,000 or less to the department of revenue for calendar year 2019;
- Have expenses that are necessary to continue business operations and the expense is not a federal, state, or local tax, fee, license, or other government revenue;
- Self-attest that the expense is not funded by any other government or private entity;
- Have experienced a reduction in business income or activity related to COVID-19 or state or local actions in response to COVID-19; and
- Agree to operate in accordance with the requirements of applicable federal, state, and local public health guidance and directives.
The bill also provides $90,000,000 to assist the reopening of businesses that temporarily totally closed their operations and to be eligible, businesses must:
- Apply for the grant;
- Have reported annual gross receipts of $5,000,000 or less to the department of revenue for calendar year 2019;
- Demonstrate the business was actively engaged in business, and as a result of the governor's proclamations November 15, 2020, temporarily totally closed operations. Demonstration of active engagement in business can be given through but is not limited to taxable activity reported to the department of revenue. The department may use other methods to determine if this criterion has been met;
- Have expenses that are necessary to reopen business operations and the expense is not a federal, state, or local tax, fee, license, or other government revenue;
- Self-attest that the expense is not funded by any other government or private entity; and
- Agree to operate in accordance with the requirements of applicable federal, state, and local public health guidance and directives.
If a business received one or more Working Washington small business grants, the grant awarded must be reduced to reflect the amounts received from previous grants.
Reopening costs include (but are not limited to) upgrading physical work places to adhere to new safety or sanitation standards, procuring required personal protective supplies, updating business plans, employee costs including payroll, training, and onboarding, rent, lease, mortgage, insurance, and utilities payments, and securing inventory, supplies, and services for operations.
Nonprofit organizations may be eligible to receive funding under if they have a primary business activity that has been impacted. (Source: Washington Tourism Alliance 2.22.2021)
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Have Fewer than 20 Employees? File for PPP by March 9.
The Small Business Administration will prioritize Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications for businesses with fewer than 20 employees for two weeks from Wednesday, February 24- March 9. Here's a link to the SBA.
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Current Campaigns and Outreach
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Share Our Campaigns, Support Our Local Economy!
Follow Bellingham Experience on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for daily updates and content to share.
Need a new view, or want to give virtual customers the feeling of being here?
Just because we’re at home doesn’t mean we can’t keep exploring. Check out (and share!) these videos for virtual tours of beautiful Bellingham and Whatcom County. 🏕️
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Build Your Own Campaign!
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and we want to help create a guide to all things Irish in Whatcom County! If you plan to have any activities or specials for the month or weekend in celebration let us know. 🍀
Share our blog on social with your own message about why folks should celebrate with YOUR organization! Be sure to tag us @BellinghamExperience #BellinghamExperience
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We want to thank you for sharing and helping to support the Visit Bellingham Whatcom County photo contest! Without you, we wouldn’t have such an incredible destination. Check out our Facebook page to vote for and share your favorite photo! 📸
See a shot you want to share? Here’s some text to help you reshare any of our submissions: “We love seeing shots from locals and travelers exploring Whatcom County. Thanks for showing off your unique #BellinghamExperience!"
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