The allure of vampire dreams delivered a 48-percent increase in lodging tax revenue for Forks, while “close vacations” because of high gasoline prices fueled tourism elsewhere on the North Olympic Peninsula this summer.
Port Angeles made the most money from lodging tax revenues — $337,598, 2.7 percent over the $328,454 collected during the same period last year — while Port Townsend, afflicted with a cut in ferry runs, was pleased to see only a small drop in revenues — a 0.2 percent decrease to $229,258 from $229,655, said Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rod Davies.
At the same time, Sequim saw a percentage increase in lodging tax revenues second only to Forks, collecting $115,962, a 15.7 percent increase over last year’s figure of $100,163 during the same time period, an indication of interest in the town as a retirement community, said Vickie Maples, Sequim Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce executive director.
Maples pointed out that Sequim was declared by Money Magazine in September as one of the top six places to retire.
“The word is getting out that Sequim is a place to travel to and relocate,” she said.
Other totals through September, compared with those from January through September 2007 are:
■ Jefferson County has received $209,425, which is a 8.9 percent increase over last year’s figure of $192,297.
■ Clallam County has received $191,245, which is a 5.8 percent increase over last year’s figure of $180,629 during the same time period.
But though the amount of lodging tax revenue collected in Forks was the smallest of any entity on the Peninsula — $85,159, a 48 percent increase over last year’s figure of $57,467 during the same time period — the shrieks of delight were the loudest.
“We had a wonderful summer thanks to the books by Stephanie Meyer,” said Marcia Bingham, Forks Chamber of Commerce executive director.
“We have blown up with Twilight visitors. It has been a wonderful year for us.”
Fans of Meyer’s bestselling vampire novels — Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn — have flocked to the setting of their favorite characters, Isabella Swan, a mortal teenager who falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen, as well as Jacob Black, a Quileute werewolf.
