INLAND OUTSTANDING INLAND NORTHWEST VISITORS APPRECIATE REGION'S

Living and working in the Inland Northwest, it can be easy to fall under the impression that vacations (especially those involving airplanes), are events which take place only in distant places: Seattle, California, Europe -- everywhere that isn't here.

It may even be easy to believe that hardly anyone spends hard-earned money and vacation time to come here.

But listening to tourists who have done just that, it becomes clear that in a way, residents of this area may be the unluckiest people of all. For this is where we conduct our lives; where work, family and other commitments consume our time and energy and dominate our thoughts. As a result, we see but don't always fully appreciate the natural beauty and exciting attractions which make this area unique -- and marketable. As travel destinations, Spokane and Coeur d'Alene have grown steadily in popularity over the past 10 years and show no sign of losing their luster. Even as traditional vacation hot spots like Yellowstone National Park suffer from declining visitor counts, the tourism branch of the Inland Northwest continues to mature and prosper. The reasons for this are many, said Steven Janicek, director of sales and marketing at The Coeur d'Alene Resort. For instance, the relatively low cost of living in this area makes trips here a bargain for travelers used to paying the inflated prices attached to larger destinations. In addition, people's travel habits aren't what they used to be. "The travel and tourism industry is becoming one of convenience," said Janicek. "People are taking more vacations over shorter durations. They used to take trips to explore; now they come to relax." Being close but not too close to Seattle, Portland, Boise, plus hundreds of other towns in Canada and outlying areas, makes the Inland Northwest a prime location for attracting this new type of tourist. Though the vast majority of visitors to this area live within a couple hundred miles, Janicek said an increasing number of foreign travelers are coming here as well. After seeing their fill of primary North American tourist cities like New York and Los Angeles, many are discovering the advantages of seeking recreation farther inland. "They don't know what's here, and when they get here, they're absolutely amazed with what they see. We have something they don't have in Europe and a lot of South American countries: space and tranquility," said Janicek. An unusually diverse selection of landscapes and a long list of nearby mountains, lakes and rivers also help make the Inland Northwest popular. John Dixon, a 60-year-old freshly retired teacher from Seattle, said he came to Eastern Washington for the first time mainly to do some biking, enjoy the drastic change in scenery and visit Grand Coulee Dam, something he'd always wanted to do. Though Dixon and traveling companion Mary Lou Krause, 61, plan to travel all over Europe and much of the rest of the world, they decided to start with a good look around their own back yard. "We could've chosen France, but we came to Eastern Washington instead," said Krause. Craig Sprankle, public affairs officer with the Bureau of Reclamation at Grand Coulee Dam, said the enormous concrete landmark remains as popular as ever among regional, national and international travelers. Close to 500,000 people visit the dam each year, with the Fourth of July fireworks and laser show standing out as the biggest draw. Labor Day weekend is often busy as well, and Sprankle said last year's Labor Day visitors alone represented every state and 24 foreign countries. Bryan Porter, 46, said it's difficult for him to take a day off from his duties as a minister in Eastland, British Columbia, without physically leaving town. He's never been disappointed with Eastern Washington, its cities or its people. "I think a lot of Canadians have this image of American cities being filled with gangs of hording marauders. But Spokane is very pleasant and seems very safe," he said. Guests to the region are often helped in their travels by the information and advice offered freely by the area's visitors centers. The Spokane Area Visitor Information Center, 201 W. Main, receives between 400,000 and 500,000 visitors each year and provides advice on how best to see such sights as the Cataldo Mission, Silverwood and Riverfront Park. Visitor Services Director Jenean Hughes said her agency, which is funded jointly by the county, the city and by revenue collected from hotel taxes, offers an informative too-free number (1-800-248-3230), a Web site (www.spokane-areacvb.org) and a service not too many people know about. The center will locate a hotel room for out-of-town visitors free of charge, more or less guaranteed. Hughes said the hotel rooms in downtown Spokane never completely sell out, even during big events like Bloomsday and Hoopfest. A quick call to the visitors center can usually save many hours of frustrated searching. Another Spokane Area visitors center is available during summer months at the state line. Nancy Giammarco, executive director of the Coeur d'Alene-Post Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau, said her office has kept track of lodging sales during the past four years. In 1994, 41,700 rooms where rented in North Idaho. That number has grown steadily each year, reaching 47,000 in 1997. "I think right there is proof that we are becoming more and more of a destination," she said. Though the bureau is now located exclusively in the Post Falls Factory Outlets complex (next to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory), construction will soon be finished on a brand-new visitors center inside the Museum of North Idaho in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Steve Wilson, a member of the Idaho Travel Council Conference Center, has watched with satisfaction as the tourism industry in this area has blossomed during the 14 years he's been in the business. The region has emerged as a major golf destination, Silver Mountain has made its summer activities almost as popular as its skiing, waterslides have been built - the list goes on. As a member of the council, Wilson has the chance to help decide where the state's hotel tax dollars will be spent. Usually about half, or $2 million, is given to local visitors centers while the other half goes to fund a statewide advertising campaign seen elsewhere in the country. Wilson said he believes this coming season will be just as busy or busier than those in recent years and hopes that all guests who visit Eastern Washington and Idaho will walk away with the same impression 44-year-old Seattle-area homemaker Diane Mitee and her family leave with every summer after their much-anticipated visit to Lake Chelan. "There's such a variety - that's what's great about the state as a whole," she said. "You can spend all your vacations here. You really don't have to go that far."

Copyright 1998 Cowles Publishing Company
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