Will new three-word marketing slogan boost Tacoma tourism?
“Mountain, city, sea” is the mantra Travel Tacoma’s leader has used since his arrival to the region’s top tourism post.
Now, it’s official.
A new joint name, logo and tagline were unveiled Tuesday in a presentation at the Pantages Theater during the agency’s annual meeting.
The combined marketing organization for Tacoma and Pierce County now will be known as Travel Tacoma — Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sports, with a new tagline: MOUNTAIN CITY SEA.
Dean Burke, president and CEO of the combined agency who took the helm in January, said that adding “tourism and sports” to its overall name speaks to the expansion of its work involving not only meetings and conventions but sports/leisure.
“This is the trifecta of what a destination can offer,” he said in a statement announcing the new branding. “Most destinations have one of the three. A few have two. We’re one of only a handful in the country that have all three: A major mountain, a metropolitan city and a saltwater sea.”
All of this rebranding is the result of this year’s merger of Travel Tacoma + Pierce County with Tacoma South Sound Sports Commission.
A text-only logo also will be used to help identify itself.
“When people see images of our geographic platform, convincing them to come is a much easier proposition,” Burke said. “Most tourism logos have some graphic element, but it’d be a shame for us to have a logo that competes with what nature has given us.”
The agency also made note that three hotel projects are in permitting in Puyallup while seven other hotel projects are under construction in Pierce County.
By the end of 2020, according to the agency, Tacoma and Lakewood each will have three new hotels, and Sumner will have one new one, adding a combined total of more than 1,000 new rooms to the area.
All of this should help address the room shortage visitors face now when big conventions overlap with big concerts.
