The Port of Seattle Commission has announced its fifth annual Tourism Marketing Support Program, which will provide $200,000 in matching dollars to local communities and non-profit organizations across the state of Washington.

The program provides matching support of up to $10,000 per organization for use in advertising, publicizing, or distributing information to attract visitors traveling to the state.

“Tourism is a great way to bring economic dollars to our state. For the past five years the Port of Seattle has been doing its part to promote the great places in Washington by helping organizations across the state reach wider audiences.” said Port of Seattle Commission President Stephanie Bowman in a prepared statement. “We want to maintain the effectiveness of the program to continue strong outreach to cultural, historical, tribal, and eco/sustainable and adventure/nature travel-related organizations.”

“We thank the Port of Seattle for making possible our efforts to develop and market videos to promote beach tours showcasing the Salish Sea,”  commented Lindsey Stover of Harbor WildWatch.

“The natural beauty of our environment has a greater reach and opportunity to impact potential visitors with these funds.”

More information and application materials are available from the port, which will also be hosting an information session at Pier 69 on January 9 between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon.

Last year, 30 organizations across Washington got funding, committing over $100,000 in match contributions combined with the $200,000 from the Port, providing a net effect of over $300,000 in marketing the state and region.

Since its inception in 2016, the Tourism Support Program is said to have funded 86 projects across Washington, contributing $628,037 with $428,097 in organization matches.