Clallam County’s take of 2004 hotel/motel tax revenues through July is up almost 8 percent over the same period last year, and Jefferson County has collected 7.2 percent more, the North Olympic Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau reports.
Cities in the region also reported big boosts, except for Forks, where hotel/motel collections dropped $1,055.
Clallam County collected $159,577 for 2004 in the most recent reporting period, compared with $147,968 for the corresponding period in 2003.
Jefferson County revenues rose to $181,370 from $169,138.
Kristi Agren, director of tourism and marketing for the visitor bureau, credited building projects east of Port Angeles for part of the increase.
“There’s a lot of construction going on in Sequim with people working on the Wal-Mart and Home Depot,” she said.
She also cited a good season for halibut fishing at Sekiu in April.
“Normally that month is very slow,” she said.
Discovery Marathon
Other factors contributing to the revenue rise were the Olympic Discovery Marathon in June, an overflow of visitors to July’s Sequim Lavender Festival, and record attendance at the Port Angeles Crab Festival this month.
Except for Forks in 2004 and Port Townsend in 2001 and 2003, hotel/motel tax collections have climbed on the North Olympic Peninsula since 2000.
“Things are turning around,” said Agren. “Things are getting better, I think.”
