Will a new seaplane service help Tacoma tourism recovery? Tribe and others think yes
The seaplane can’t come soon enough.
Ruston Way, with its waterfront parks and handful of restaurants, is about to get more active, which is good news for Tacoma as it searches of more tourism dollars after 2020’s pandemic downturn.
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians on Tuesday announced its new partnership with Kenmore Air bringing seaplane service with a terminal and dock to its waterfront property, also home to RAM Restaurant and Brewery and the former C.I. Shenanigan’s.
The Tribe, in its announcement, emphasized the tourism possibilities, something reiterated in a phone interview Wednesday with tribal officials.
“This is an opportunity for Tacoma to boost its tourism,” Tribal Council Chairman Bill Sterud told The News Tribune.
Initial plans call for the new restaurant and seaplane service to launch in late 2023.
“We’re going to start with one and then potentially offer private sightseeing tours up to Victoria and the San Juan (Islands) as well,” Matt Wadhwani, chief financial officer for the Tribe, told The News Tribune. “We feel there’s not an operation like this in the South Sound, and there’s going to be a pretty big demand for the use of this terminal.”
“For us the long-term vision is the sky’s the limit,” he added. “But we’re going to be responsible to do it right to just start small and grow into it.”
As for the new restaurant, “It’s going to show off our culture, our art. The whole building will feature Northwest Coast art,” Sterud said. “It’ll shine down there on the waterway.”
The news comes as the county hopes that lower COVID-19 cases will aid in the area’s economic recovery.
Pierce County tourism numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent tourism report cited by Travel Tacoma — Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sports.
Pierce County saw 8.8 million visitors in 2021, up more than 35 percent from 2020, but still 3.8 percent lower compared with 2019. Visitors spent a record $1.4 billion in 2021 (a 35.8 percent increase over 2020 and a 2.6 percent increase over 2019), but inflation likely played a role in the record-setting amount.
According to Travel Tacoma, Pierce County visitors last year spent $227 million on lodging, $428 million on food and beverage, $202 million on recreation, $372 million on retail and $181.3 million on transportation.
The data came from a report, Economic Impacts of Visitors in Washington State, released this month by State of Washington Tourism.
Dean Burke, president and CEO of Travel Tacoma — Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sports, told The News Tribune on Wednesday, “We’re glad to see tourism is on the long road to recovery in Pierce County, and we’re thrilled that the Puyallup Tribe of Indians is taking this exciting step toward bringing more visitors to Tacoma.”
Sterud praised the efforts of the Tribe’s economic development team with the expansions.
“Our economic development, they don’t miss a thing,” he said. “And they’re doing their due diligence, looking at different opportunities, and keeping this whole team going in the right direction.”
“Flying a seaplane is definitely a great experience as far as seeing the water, the San Juans, seeing the Port of Seattle,” Sterud said. “It’s just a good way to visit the Pacific Northwest — see it all in one.”
When asked what was coming next in terms of new development from the Tribe, Sterud hedged his bets.
“Stay tuned,” he said.
