OLYMPIA – Rep. Julio Cortes, D-Everett, has been appointed to the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority’s (WTMA) Board of Directors by Speaker of the House, Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma. Tourism remains the fourth largest industry in Washington, generating over $21 billion in annual spending, with nearly $2.4 billion being added to state budgets in the form of tax revenue.
The WTMA was established by the legislature to recognize the importance of tourism for Washington’s economy. Board members work with industry leaders and tourism marketing professionals to attract visitors to all parts of the state. The WTMA also creates and implements a framework for funding a statewide marketing plan. In doing so, the WTMA Board of Director’s manages the authority’s financial resources.
When asked about the opportunity to serve on the WTMA, Rep. Cortes shared that he is “honored to serve the people of Washington in this role”. He added, “tourism benefits so many in this state – whether it’s a small family-owned restaurant or the employees that put together the very airplanes people fly to our state aboard. I’m excited to get to work with my colleagues on making our economy more vibrant and continuing to strengthen the overall resiliency of small businesses who benefit from tourism.”
More information about the WTMA can be found here.