Money that visitors spend in Clark County each year has a profound impact, and the Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau is working to make it have an even greater impact on downtown Vancouver.
In response to business demand, the bureau is in the midst of launching the Downtown Vancouver Tourism Dollars program, which provides visiting convention delegates a token worth $1 to spend at participating businesses. The tokens are good for $1 off purchases of $5 or more.
The program, which will launch with the first convention group in July if not sooner, aims to be a boon to the participating businesses but also benefits the convention and visitors bureau because it can offer the tokens as an incentive, said Jennifer Kirby, marketing and communications manager.
As of press time about 15 businesses had agreed to participate and Kirby expects more after a sign-up blitz that will have happened June 18.
The effort was coordinated with Vancouver's Downtown Association, and there have been discussions about adding designation to participating businesses on the VDA's downtown walking map.
Visitors to Clark County spend nearly $400 million a year, according to the visitors bureau. In April, leisure and hospitality was one of three industries to add jobs in the Vancouver-Portland metro area, but despite 200 seasonal hires in Clark County, the county has lost about 400 jobs in the industry in the last year, according to the state Employment Security Department.
