• Home
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Real Estate
    • Q&A
    • Business Profiles
    • Networking
    • Public Record
    • Opinion
      • Our View
  • Real Estate & Construction
    • Latest News
    • Top Properties
    • Building Permits
    • Building Tri-Cities
  • Special Publications
    • Book of Lists
    • Best Places to Work
    • People of Influence
    • Young Professionals
    • Hanford
    • Energy
    • Focus: Agriculture + Viticulture
    • Focus: Construction + Real Estate
  • E-Edition
  • Calendar
    • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Journal Events
    • Senior Times Expo
    • Young Professionals
      • Sponsor Young Professionals
    • Best Places to Work
      • Sponsor BPTW
    • People of Influence
      • Sponsor People of Influence
  • Senior Times
    • About Senior Times
    • Read Senior Times Stories
    • Senior Times Expo
    • Obituaries and Death Notices
Home » The cheery champion of Tri-City tourism finds good news in sea of bad

The cheery champion of Tri-City tourism finds good news in sea of bad

Courtesy Visit Tri-Cities
July 15, 2020
Wendy Culverwell

Michael Novakovich is by nature and by profession an optimist.

As president of Visit Tri-Cities, his job is to champion the people, places and things that draw tourists to the Mid-Columbia, to fill its shops, bars, restaurants and hotel rooms.

Visitors spent more than $560 million in Benton and Franklin counties in 2018, according to the bureau’s most recent annual report.

The Covid-19 pandemic has battered few industries more than the ones that rely on tourism spending. The Tri-Cities Airport reported a 95% decline in passenger traffic in April and 87% in May.

Novakovich knows of at least five local hotels, mostly corporate-owned Motel 6 properties, that simply closed when Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order hit in March.

More than 70% of hotel workers in the U.S. have been laid off or furloughed, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, which calculates the loss in tax revenue alone at nearly $17 billion to states and local taxing entities.

Tourism supported 165,000 jobs in Washington in 2019, or 3.5% of the state total, according to the Washington Tourism Alliance. The alliance calculates leisure and hospitality job losses may account for as much as half the 1.2 million unemployment claims filed in Washington in mid-May.

“Obviously, tourism everywhere is adversely impacted in a pretty significant way,” Novakovich said. Locally, $25 million worth of meetings, conventions and sporting events that were scheduled for Tri-City venues have been canceled because of the pandemic.

But Novakovich, the optimist, sees cause for optimism.

The convention marketing team rebooked $8 million of the business, rescheduling some events for later in 2020 and others for future years.

“The sales teams have had some success at multiyear bookings,” he said.

Visit Tri-Cities is working through the Washington Tourism Alliance’s Discover Washington campaign   which will push in-state travel. The Tri-Cities has a starring role as a premier outdoors destination packed with wineries, science and fine dining.

In another promising development, the Tri-Cities will host the 2021 North American edition of the Travel Bloggers Exchange (TBEX), which brings 400 to 600 travel writers to town for five days of familiarization tours.

Novakovich called it an “incredible” opportunity to draw attention from writers who reach millions of readers.

Novakovich said he’s encouraged by hotel occupancy rates, which began inching up in May as area residents took “staycations” from staying at home. Some essential business travel has continued. Anecdotally, the return of fishing is helping.

Still, hotel occupancy rates were off by half in June compared to a year ago.

That was before early July, when Washington state allowed Benton and Franklin counties to enter a modified version of Phase 1 of the state’s Safe Start program. The modified phase allows the resumption of some business activities, including al fresco dining when social distancing requirements can be met.

Novakovich is eager to see the Mid-Columbia come to grips with the pandemic. High infection rates could give it a reputation as an undesirable travel destination, something he called “concerning.”

“If we sit in this spot longer than we already have, it’s going to be painful to attract business to the Tri-Cities,” he said. “We’ve got to have safe operating businesses. We have to reopen and restart our economy.”

Visit Tri-Cities pushed hard for the move to a modified Phase 1 and to building consumer confidence that it’s safe to visit local businesses.

It joined the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tri-City Development Council, Benton-Franklin Health District and other entities to form the Open and Safe Coalition.

The coalition is pushing Tri-Citians to wear masks and take other steps to curtail the spread of coronavirus. Businesses that take the open and safe pledge to adhere to health department recommendations are highlighted on electronic maps and have added access to masks, sanitizers, touchless thermometers and other protective gear.

    Local News Hospitality & Meetings
    KEYWORDS july 2020
    Wendy culverwell web 150x150
    Wendy Culverwell

    Private donation boosts Pasco nonprofit to help region’s most vulnerable

    More from this author
    Free Email Updates

    Daily and Monthly News

    Sign up now!

    Featured Poll

    What's your favorite Tri-Cities summertime event?

    Popular Articles

    • Sterlings
      By Ty Beaver

      This longtime Kennewick restaurant is looking for a new, bigger home

    • Lewis and clark ranch
      By TCAJOB Staff

      Public invited to weigh in on development of West Richland land

    • Voodoo spices and sauces
      By Rachel Visick

      Pasco couple take on local spice business

    • Fiber optic
      By TCAJOB Staff

      Hearing set on Canada company’s acquisition of Ziply Fiber

    • 2025popest
      By TCAJOB Staff

      Tri-City population growth is slowing

    • News Content
      • Latest news
      • Real Estate & Construction
      • Public records
      • Special publications
      • Senior Times
    • Customer Service
      • Our Readers
      • Subscriptions
      • Advertise
      • Editorial calendar
      • Media Kit
    • Connect With Us
      • Submit news
      • Submit an event
      • E-newsletters
      • E-Edition
      • Contact
    • Learn More
      • About Us
      • Our Events
      • FAQs
      • Privacy Policy
      • Spokane Journal of Business

    Mailing Address: 8656 W. Gage Blvd., Ste. C303  Kennewick, WA 99336 USA

    MCM_Horiz.png

    All content copyright © 2025 Mid-Columbia Media Inc. All rights reserved.
    No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Mid-Columbia Media Inc.

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing