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Creating Partnerships and Promoting Tourism

“Brother Bear,” an animated Disney film, opened to mixed reviews in Seattle last Fall, but in Japan it was a huge hit. Now the Port of Seattle, along with Washington state and the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau are promoting travel packages with companies like Northwest World Vacations, Kintetsu, and H.I.S. to encourage Japanese tourists to visit Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

Using the theme of “Living Cool, Loving Nature,” these travel packages will feature trips so visitors can view wildlife and wild animals in their natural surroundings. The film applies the theme of finding the good in things through the voices of talking bears, salmon, moose and other wildlife.

Among the locations featured in the promotion are Northwest Trek, Olympic Game Farm, the Olympic Peninsula, the San Juan Islands and Washington wine country. And don’t forget about the Mariners and Woodland Park Zoo.

Why is the Port of Seattle promoting a Disney film travel package, you may ask? Because tourism is one of Washington’s biggest economic drivers and when the state succeeds, so does the Port.

More than 3 million Japanese tourists visit the United States annually. In 2003, international travelers generated over $70 billion in travel expenditures in the U.S. Japanese tourists are the largest segment of the overseas international traveling public coming to Washington state.

During the week of March 15th, a delegation headed by Port of Seattle Commissioner Pat Davis and Chief Administrative Officer John Okamoto visited Tokyo to conduct seminars and educational workshops to the Japanese travel industry about the “Brother Bear” promotional opportunity. Other area participants included people from Tillicum Village, MTR Western Motor Coach, Azumano Tours, Cascade Loop Association, the City of Port Townsend, Chelan County Wine Industry and more.

A consumer tie-in with Dannon Yogurt features an open sweepstakes campaign providing a trip to Seattle and Washington state for a family of four. The sweepstakes will be promoted in 2,000 major supermarkets and convenience stores throughout Japan and advertised on television and in newspapers. The campaign began in mid-February 2004 and runs through April.