Tourism indicators are down from last year, but seem to be rebounding — especially in Sequim and the West End — as the weather improves, chambers of commerce directors in Clallam and Jefferson counties say.
“I’d describe the current tourism industry as fragile,” Port Angeles Chamber Executive Director Russ Veenema said.
For example, the lack of March visitor center traffic has dragged down the entire year’s total’s so far, Veenema said.
“January’s door count was up 11 percent from last year, and February’s was down 10 percent” he said. “Then March was down 50 percent and April was up 51 percent.”
While the Port Angeles Visitor Center’s door count through May 2003 was up 10 percent from 2002 — 20,758 versus 18,690 — tourists don’t seem to be staying overnight: Hotel room-tax collections are down 16 percent.
“The good news is, this is slowest time of the year, so we can bounce back,” Veenema said.
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