The final numbers are in.
The state Department of Revenue released 2009 totals of lodging tax receipts — one of the ways to measure tourism — for the North Olympic Peninsula last week.
Forks had the largest increase in receipts in 2009 over 2008. Clallam County as a whole was up.
Jefferson County has a whole remained flat.
Sequim saw the greatest percentage of decline, while Port Angeles and Port Townsend receipts also were down, according to the report released Jan. 4.
State comparisons
Even those that dropped in receipts saw less of a decline than most others in the state and region report, said Diane Schostak, executive director of the North Olympic Visitor Bureau, which is based in Port Angeles and markets the entire Peninsula.
Schostak said that at statewide meetings, other areas were reporting much lower visitation by about 20 percent, and that her counterparts both nationally and internationally were reporting decreases by as much as 20 to 30 percent.
State figures were not available online.
“In a world that is down 20 percent in travel, we are fortunate to have not only Twilight but the wonderful assets that we do to sustain us through this time,” Schostak said.
Four best-selling vampire novels by Arizona author Stephenie Meyer — Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn — have lured tens of thousands of visitors to the Peninsula, and especially to Forks, to see the setting for their favorite characters.
Throughout the Peninsula the numbers were:
• Unincorporated Clallam County was up 2.79 percent, from $355,151 in 2008 to $365,072 in 2009.
• Port Angeles was down by 7.12 percent, from $505,467 in 2008 to $469,484 in 2009.
• Sequim was down 12.63 percent, decreasing from $172,583 in 2008 to $150,779 in 2009.
• Forks was up 7.93 percent, increasing from $123,775 in 2008 to $133,585 in 2009.
• Unincorporated Jefferson County was essentially flat, with a 0.19 percent decrease, from $316,386 in 2008 to $315,776 in 2009.
• Port Townsend was also slightly down, with a 3.47 percent decrease, from $350,290 in 2008 to $338,144 in 2009.
Twilight major factor
In Clallam County in particular, Twilight was the major factor, according to Schostak, Port Angeles Regional Chamber Executive Director Russ Veenema and Forks Chamber Executive Director Marcia Bingham.
The tale of Forks teenager Bella Swan and her suitors, vampire Edward Cullen and werewolf Jacob Black, has captured the imagination of the world. Visitors from all over the globe have visited in the past several years with more than 70,000 signing in at the Forks Visitor Center in 2009 alone.
“I think that the whole Peninsula — the whole state — sees impacts from Twilight,” Schostak said.
Forks has the most visitors because it is the center of all things Twilight.
“How can this increase not be Twilight-related?” Bingham asked.
“Just look at all of our businesses — Dazzled by Twilight has three storefronts now, Lapell’s Flowers has a whole new line as Twilight Central, the [Forks Outfitters] Thriftway has a new section of merchandise.
“There is so much positive that it beats out any negative that might be out there.
“People come here and go home happy.”
While in the West End, visitors discover the natural beauty of the area, Bingham said.
“The fact that we are one of the gateways to Olympic National Park is not meant to be a secret at all — but many don’t realize how beautiful and great it is until they get here,” she said.
Despite the windfall for businesses, the Forks chamber itself struggles to stay caught up with demand.
“Just because we have a lot of visitors does not mean that we at the chamber are getting donations,” Bingham said.
“We are thrilled with what it is doing in town, but we do have to be very careful with our additional expenses with toilet paper, lights and all of the maps we hand out.”
Port Angeles
Despite the slight decrease in Port Angeles numbers, Veenema said he was pleased with the turnout.
“I’m ecstatic where we ended up,” he said. “There are hotel owners in town that have properties in other areas and it is common in other parts of the country to be down 20 to 30 percent.”
Veenema also noted that a mistake by those in the state Department of Revenue, which distributes the lodging tax funds, had allocated a bit more to Port Angeles in 2008, which had to be paid back in 2009.
“That was about $9,500 dollars, so you can see that it would have an impact,” he said.
He acknowledged the impact Twilight had on tourism in Port Angeles.
“Obviously you have to start the conversation with Twilight, because the visitors we’ve had as a result of that have really been a gift.”
But he said tourism wasn’t only sparked by the vampire novels.
“We also have noticed an increase in visitation to Olympic National Park,” Veenema said.
“We see a trend that people are looking for inexpensive vacations, and the North Olympic Peninsula is a great place for that.
“People want to get away from the chaos and get out into the world. We can offer that, especially at the national park.”
Schostak agreed: “Sometimes I think that a slowing economy works in our favor.
Inexpensive vacation
“We are a great and inexpensive vacation, and the folks in Portland and Vancouver [British Columbia], those are the folks that the Peninsula has always attracted.
“We have a lot of fodder for exploration.”
Among that fodder is the Waterfall Trails tour, which directs visitors to 24 waterfalls from the Hood Canal to Neah Bay, and the Olympic Culinary Loop, an idea now under development for introducing tourists to the distinctive cuisine of the Peninsula, Schostak said.
“I see us as growing products, and reaching out to those markets.”
In the next couple of years, Schostak said, her office also will promote tourism based on the Elwha River restoration — in which the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams will be removed beginning in 2011 in a $308 million project — and the North Olympic Peninsula Discovery Trail, which eventually will extend from Port Townsend to LaPush.
Sequim
Vickie Maples, Sequim Chamber of Commerce executive director, said that, despite the dip in lodging tax receipts, she feels Sequim is holding its own.
“In a world that is down 20 percent economically, we are hoping the next year will continue and even increase,” she said.
“It looks very good, with a new Holiday Inn Express opening up in late February, and I’m looking forward to a marketing coordinator for the area to come in,” Maples said.
Originally scheduled for a debut last November, the three-story inn at 1441 E. Washington St., is now aiming for a February completion date, developer Bret Wirta said last fall.
The Sequim Marketing Action Committee had hoped to have a new marketing coordinator in place at the beginning of this year, but had no applicants late last week.
Maples also hopes that the addition of a tasty new festival on Sept. 25 could boost numbers in Sequim in 2010.
“We are making plans for the Incredible Edible Festival,” Maples said. “A few years ago, we had a Chocolate Festival and we have been talking about wanting to continue with that edible theme.
“Ultimately, we started talking about something much more broad than just chocolate or desserts.”
In addition to tasty treats to eat, the festival also will include demonstrations on how to present food on a plate, how to present food as a gift, how to make beautiful place settings and other food-related instruction.
“This really coincides with the bounty of food that is available and grown on the North Olympic Peninsula,” Maples said.
Jefferson County
In Jefferson County the lodging tax was essentially flat in 2009 compared to 2008.
“When everyone else is down, what it comes down to is that Port Townsend and Jefferson County are good destination points — especially for people who are not able to fly somewhere else,” said Jennifer MacGillonie, executive director Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, which covers both the city of Port Townsend and unincorporated Jefferson County.
In 2010, MacGillonie said she expected a similar year, but that the absence of the Port Townsend Victorian Festival could have a small impact.
The festival is on hiatus for the year while planners plan a revamped festival for 2011.
“Of course, on that weekend, we will see a difference — it has always been one of those things that brings people to the area,” she said.
“But overall, I expect it will be similar to the past year.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
