The Woodland Tourism Information Center, funded by the city’s hotel-motel tax and the Chamber of Commerce, may be in danger of reducing hours of operation–or even closing--if the tourist center can’t find more money.
The city collects a 2 percent hotel-motel tax to pay for the center and other community attractions, but the two-year recession has taken a toll on Woodland hotel and motel revenues.
The economic downturn has reduced the tax revenue from a high of $34,000 to $27,000 for 2010, and of that, $22,000 has been earmarked by the city for the tourism center on Goerig Street near the I-5 interchange.
Bill Raybell, Chamber president, said the cost of operating the tourism center in 2009 reached $56,000. City allocations to the tourism center reached as high as $32,000 for 2009. The city has allocated more than $22,000 each year since 2003 when the allocation was $20,000. Other annual allocations were $23,000 in 2004, $27,000 in 2005, $25,000 in 2006, $28,300 in 2007, and $30,000 in 2009.
“We cannot continue if we don’t have the revenue,” Raybell said. “We have three options: Not to accept the money and close, cut the number of days we are open, or cut the number of months.”
Raybell said that 2010, the 30th anniversary of the eruption on Mount St. Helens, is not a good year to close. Travel to Canada for the Olympic Games is also expected to attract travelers to hotels and motels, as well as tourist attractions, along the I-5 corridor, he said.
The Chamber will present a proposal to the city council Tues., Feb. 16, 7 p.m.
“We understand they have other budget problems; it’s not the city’s fault,” Raybell said. “It’s the times. Hotels and motels are not booking rooms. We think we’ll work something out, but it’s up to them (the city council).”
Chamber revenues are also down, Raybell said, as membership has declined.
Other community organizations, accustomed to receiving small allocations from the city, will do without this year. Even the popular Planters Day celebration, which received $1,500 in 2009, will get nothing for the 2010 June event. The Cowlitz and Clark County historical museums that each received $750 in 2009 will not receive any money from the city this year.
Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens will receive $3,000, $1,000 less than in 2009, and the Cowlitz County Tourism Department’s “Awesome Brochure” will get $2,000. Woodland clerk-treasurer Mari Ripp said that the council considers the brochure vital to promoting visitors to the city.
The city carries a reserve fund of $29,320 for the hotel-motel tax, but the city council has decided not to tap into the fund at this time.