Latest news with #VisitSeattle
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seattle cruise ship industry expecting record-breaking year
One of the largest money-makers in Seattle is the tourism industry, specifically the cruise ships. Tourism experts say those tourists bring in millions of dollars to Seattle every Summer, with this year projected to be the biggest year yet. Liz Johnson with Visit Seattle tells us the Seattle Port is known for its destinations. 'Seattle has always been part of that journey north to Alaska,' Johnson said. Visitors from all over the world are coming to the Emerald City every day. 'We are really excited when they choose Seattle,' Johnson said. This summer, the Port of Seattle is expecting downtown to get pretty crowded. 'With 1.9 million passengers, so that's another record-breaking season,' Johnson said. Ships like the Norwegian Joy are bringing in a new wave of tourists every week. 'We can hold on average 4,000 passengers,' Norwegian Joy Cruise Director Brynne Wyatt said. All of them are spending money here, too. 'Cruise is a half-year business for us; it brings in about $900 million to the regional economy,' Linda Springman with the Port of Seattle said. They say this is benefiting businesses of all kinds. 'We are asking them to visit our hotels and restaurants and to visit different shops. We want people to spend more time in Seattle,' Johnson said. She said the summer cruises provide a huge monetary influx to the Seattle economy, and they expect that to grow as they add three new ships over the next year. One of them embarks on its maiden voyage this year on June 12, and the other two next summer.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seattle tourism bounces back as city gears up for World Cup
This story was originally posted on More and more people are visiting Seattle and King County. According to recent data from Visit Seattle, 40 million visitors came through last year—a 5.3% increase from 2023 and almost as many as 2019. Tammy Canavan, President and CEO of Visit Seattle, told KIRO Newsradio the uptick is promising. 'Life is changing sort of minute by minute,' she said. 'So I think we're really encouraged by seeing continuous growth in most markets, and this will be an interesting year to watch.' However, Canavan noted federal policies are impacting the market. 'We have seen a decline in international visitation to the United States in the first quarter of this year, and we saw flights into Seattle from Canada actually increased from last year, where cross-border traffic has been down,' she said. 'It's complicated and we will continue to keep our finger on the pulse and make sure that we are being nimble enough to invest where we're gonna be able to create the best return for our community.' Seattle is expecting 750,000 visitors in 2026 for the FIFA World Cup. 'We are very excited for the World Cup and that really affords us such an enormous opportunity to use that—not just for the moment of the six matches that we get to host and all of the people that will come here—but really taking advantage that the eyes of the world are on Seattle and King County and being able to use that as a baseline for further awareness and being able to tell our story in a different way that we wouldn't otherwise have,' she shared. Tourism in Seattle and King County generated $12.3 billion in 2024, a 7.8% increase from 2023.
Axios
10-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Washington state industries feel the sting of new tariffs
Seattle and the state are beginning to feel the heat from President Trump's tariffs — including a 125% levy on Chinese imports. Why it matters: China is Washington's largest trade partner. The state's economy is also among the most trade-dependent in the nation, with more than 40% of jobs tied to international commerce, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a statement. Driving the news: On Wednesday, Trump paused reciprocal tariffs imposed by the U.S. this week, but kept 10% baseline tariffs in place while increasing tariffs on China to 125%, writes Axios' Ben Berkowitz. The 125% effective tariff on Chinese goods follows a retaliatory spiral between Washington and Beijing. By the numbers: In 2024, Washington exported almost $58 billion in goods worldwide — including $12 billion, or 21% of total exports, to China, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). That's up from $4.1 billion exported to China in 2023, per the U.S. China Business Council. Beef, seafood and wheat are among the state's top agricultural exports to China. China was followed by Canada ($7.9 billion), Japan ($5 billion), Mexico ($4.3 billion), and South Korea ($3.1 billion) as Washington's top export markets last year, per USTR. What they're saying:"Trade is the lifeblood of Washington state's economy," Sen. Maria Cantwell's office said in a tariff fact sheet. State of play: The ripple effects of the tariffs are already surfacing across Washington's core industries, according to lawmakers and industry experts. Backups at ports Businesses rushed to import goods before tariffs took effect, leading to a 28% surge in cargo at the Northwest Seaport Alliance in February, KOMO reported. An overflow of automobiles at Terminal 46 is "a direct result of the pulse that came in to beat the tariffs," said Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman. But port officials warn of a sharp slowdown ahead, threatening longshore jobs and logistics contracts. Farmers' fears Washington leads the U.S. in producing apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries, exports that are currently at risk due to retaliatory tariffs, said Murray. Murray said Trump's first-term tariffs proved costly to Washington, causing apple exports to India to plummet by 99%. Tourists staying home Canadian travelers, frustrated by Trump's tariffs and rhetoric, are crossing the border into Washington far less often, leading to noticeable drops in spending at shops, restaurants, and hotels in Washington, the Seattle Times reported last month. Canadians made up nearly 79% of Seattle's international visitors in 2023 and contributed $555.5 million in spending, about 6.7% of the city's total visitor spending, per Visit Seattle. "Tourism greatly benefits local residents, and Canadian visitors play a key role in that impact," Visit Seattle's Liz Johnson told Axios in an email.
