Lake Chelan Chamber launches $105,000 fall tourism push after summer slowdown

CHELAN — The Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce is launching a $105,000 fall tourism campaign after local businesses reported sales declines of as much as 30% to 70% during a summer disrupted by wildfires and smoke.

Chamber Executive Director Mike Steele outlined the campaign during a Sept. 1 Chelan City Council workshop, pivoting from the organization's regular quarterly tourism and public relations update to focus on efforts to bring visitors back to the Lake Chelan Valley in September and October.

“Businesses are telling us that they've seen as much as 30 to 70 percent decline in their sales in this last quarter,” Steele told council. “That's really alarming, obviously, for our organization, but just in general, the business community is suffering through these issues with respect to the fire.”

The fall campaign carries a more direct message than the Chamber's typical destination marketing, encouraging potential visitors to come to Chelan now and spend money at local businesses.

Steele said the approach is similar to one the Chamber used following the 2015 Carlton Complex fires. That effort helped produce what he described as the strongest September on record for the area.

The new campaign will represent a total investment of $105,000, including $25,000 in radio advertising, $50,000 in television advertising and $20,000 in search-engine and related digital marketing, with the remainder allocated to social media efforts.

Messaging will emphasize harvest activities, family recreation, food, wine, golf and other fall experiences while reassuring potential travelers about conditions in the valley.

Steele said the Chamber has worked since fires began in July to provide media outlets with accurate information about conditions in Chelan, including air quality and the distinction between areas directly affected by fire and those primarily experiencing smoke.

He cautioned that this year's recovery may not precisely mirror 2015 because the circumstances are different. The Carlton Complex brought extensive national attention to widespread fire and property damage across the region, while this year's effects on Chelan have been more closely associated with smoke and nearby fires.

The Chamber is also targeting a somewhat different visitor than the families that dominate summer tourism.

Steele said fall visitors tend to be couples with more discretionary income who are willing to spend more on restaurants, wine and other experiences and often stay longer.

Digital advertising will play a central role in reaching those travelers. In addition to conventional search-engine optimization and marketing, Steele said the Chamber is adapting its online content for people increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to plan trips.

The effort includes making website language more explicit about what Chelan offers so AI-based search and travel tools can more readily identify and recommend local activities.

The Chamber will also provide participating businesses with shared graphics, messaging and other marketing materials they can use on their own websites and social media accounts.

The recovery push follows a strong spring for the Chamber's broader public relations program. Steele's quarterly report covering April through June reported more than 1.1 billion media impressions and national and international travel coverage before wildfire and smoke conditions began affecting the summer tourism season.

Steele said the Chamber hopes September and October can help businesses recover some of the revenue lost during the latter part of July and August.

“We're very hopeful that [it] will generate substantial fall travel and obviously help our businesses recover” from those losses, Steele said.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media