In spite of the fact that Vancouver is the fourth-largest and oldest city in Washington state, it has long suffered from a mistaken identity.
And, when it comes to attracting tourists to the region, the confusion between Vancouver, Wash. and Vancouver, B.C. has always proven to be a huge hurdle for what was, until last week, known as the Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau.
To overcome this challenge, the renamed Vancouver USA Regional Tourism Office announced March 19 the launch of its new brand, which the agency hopes will help raise the profile of Vancouver and the region and to differentiate the city from its namesake to the north.
"When leisure travelers and meeting planners discover all the recreational opportunities the region has to offer as well as its historic significance for the Northwest, it's an easy sell," said Kim Bennett, Vancouver USA Regional Tourism Office president and CEO. "But it takes a lot of initial explaining to define exactly where we are located. Our new brand will solve this problem."
The organization's new branding, "Visit Vancouver USA | Discover the Original," improves the region's geographic recognition, positions the area as a place of historical significance and includes a strong tourism-based call to visit the Vancouver area, the group said.
"We are very excited about this new direction and believe it will bode well for attracting tourists and meetings to the region," said Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt. "The brand puts a fresh and vibrant new face on our region while not overlooking our deep historic roots."
The new name and logo was developed with input from regional community and civic leaders, local business owners and members of the local hospitality industry.
Tourism in Clark County provides more than 4,000 jobs and generates more than $421 million annually in direct spending to the local economy from 34 hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts offering 2,600 guestrooms, according to the tourism office.
