Yakima, WA — Friday, January 17, 2014 — The agency responsible for developing and marketing tourism for the Yakima Valley will be doing business under a new name. Effective today, the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau will be doing business as Yakima Valley Tourism. The change resulted from a board retreat last year as the organization made future plans for tourism in the region.
Yakima Valley Tourism made the announcement minutes ago at the Yakima Convention Center where it presented updates and issues facing the local, state and national tourism industries to the public.
“The new name is easier to remember, better reflects our mission and coincides with the launch of our six-year strategic plan,” stated John Cooper, President & CEO. “Our organization is responsible for all facets of tourism including conventions and groups, visitor services, sports and leisure travel. Tourism is an inclusive word for all sectors of the industry.” Cooper has been a strong proponent in the efforts to keep tourism alive and moving forward across all regions of Washington State after the legislature cut funding to the state’s tourism office in 2012.
The domain for the award-winning website to promote Yakima Valley will now be www.yakimavalleytourism.com but the old ones will redirect to this site.
Sister websites include Spirits and Hops Trail which was launched in July, and celebrates locally made adult beverages and The Valley’s hop heritage. Yakima Valley Made is a directory of more than 100 locally grown and crafted goods and products. Both sites have been popular and help market Yakima Valley artisan products.
To bolster wine tourism and sales to the region’s diverse wine industry, Washington Wine Country alliance continued the Taste and Tote “wine flies free” program with Alaska Airlines.
Yakima Valley Tourism is a non-profit trade association. It has been known as Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau since forming in 1957.