Well removed from the hip city districts that sell it by name only, authenticity is given out by the handful in rural towns.
For Clark County’s small cities, attracting visitors means cranking up the charm and letting the towns do the talking. The benefits of tourism will follow.
“(Our) collaborative efforts tend to be primarily event-based, to draw visitors on a regular basis to some of the great spaces and places in Ridgefield,” said Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart.
Clark County isn’t a hard sell for tourists — parks, wineries, mountains, history, rivers, and wildlife abound.
Getting people into Vancouver isn’t too tough, either, with restaurants, the fort, museums and more beckoning the passer-by to stay a while.
But in rural towns, it’s art walks, Fourth of July celebrations, hometown holidays and heritage days — by a dozen different names, these are the things that get north- and east-county cities on the map.
“From my experience, we’re talking about events here in Camas and Washougal (for tourism),” said Brent Erickson, executive director of the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce. “There’s a lot of things happening. People are coming in.”
As yearly events like Camas Days and Battle Ground’s Harvest Days turn into tradition, business organizations and city councils are the first to line up in their support.
“In 2014 we hired an events coordinator to help lead implementation of the council’s initiative to create more opportunities to bring people to Ridgefield,” Stuart said.
The nonprofit Center for Rural Affairs says tourism can be a big part of developing small towns without changing their character.
“Rural communities can be successful for being exactly who they are,” writes Joanne Steele, a rural marketing professional. “Rural tourism is about community and economic development.”
Beyond the short-term economic boost from tourism lies the hope for sustainable long-term growth.
“What I’m hoping tourism can help bring is that young business owner, that entrepreneur, that comes to compete in a stand-up paddleboard race, sees downtown and goes, ‘I want to work down here,’ ” said Renee Carroll, who works to promote Washougal to visitors.
Cities that collect a lodging tax are allowed to spend it on tourism-related projects. Carroll was granted up to $20,000 to promote Washougal; Ridgefield budgeted $30,000 for next year and Battle Ground approved $25,000 for tourism this year.
“Approved expenditures … include advertising and promotion for the Battle Ground Best Western, for the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce Passport program, and for the community’s annual Harvest Days event,” said Battle Ground city spokeswoman Bonnie Gilberti.
Money spent is money earned, goes the idea. And it’s not just the annual events that garner attention.
Cardrooms in La Center are an obvious draw for the traveling gambler, though right across the street from one casino are trails and a natural area. And don’t forget the tulips up the road in Woodland.
Stuart said Ridgefield actively promotes its place in Clark County’s wine country, as well as the entrance to the wildlife refuge. Battle Ground, Yacolt and east county cities likewise are at the footsteps of Southwest Washington’s natural beauty, and they’d love it if you’d stop by a while.
“As the Columbia River Natural Scenic Area grows in its reputation, then we can only expect more and more tourists to swing by Washougal on their way to the Gorge,” Carroll said.
