Today is the last day for the Washington Tourism Office.

Some states have cut their tourism marketing budgets in recent years, but Washington State is taking things a step further—it’s eliminating its tourism agency altogether, becoming the first state to do so.

Closure of the office is expected to save about $1.8 million annually. But with tourism spending reaching $15.2 billion in 2010, and $1 billion generated in state and local tax revenue—based on the preliminary 2010 Travel Impacts Report/Washington State Department of Commerce and Washington State Tourism—the tourism budget, which even in previous years when it had reached up to $7 million, seems like a drop in the bucket considering the favorable return.

Determining just how much of the revenues can be pegged to the work of the tourism bureau is difficult however, and states are in a money crunch looking for any opportunity to cut funding from one program to save another in the short run.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any future tourism marketing for Washington State. The possible closure of the tourism bureau had been on the radar for at least a year, and a private group of tourism industry stakeholders formed the Washington Tourism Alliance in March, with the goal of sustaining statewide destination marketing campaigns and communications.

In just two months, the 17 founding partners, 16 associate partners and more than 120 members have raised more than $300,000. Expect the new group to also affiliate with founding member Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau and its advertising campaign “Why Tourism Matters” to help promote the value of tourism to the state’s citizens and politicans.

Photo: Washington Tourism Alliance

Related posts:
VisitFlorida Reorganization Threatens Tourism Marketing
Travel Michigan Forced to Peddle Pure Michigan Merchandise
Hawaii Tourism Organizations in Catfight Over Disclosure Bill

In yet another sign that New York City is arguably more family friendly than ever before, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Monday that Disney’s reach in the city will soon expand from Times Square over to the Hudson River, from where Disney Cruise Line will begin sailing in May 2012.

The popular family cruise line is also expanding its presence to the West Coast and the Gulf of Mexico with sailings set from Seattle and Galveston, Texas, making it easier for more families to experience the magic of Disney on the high seas.

Speaking of magic, Disney’s newest ship, the Disney Magic, launched on Jan. 26, 2011, will service sailings from New York with 20 cruises from the Big Apple’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal to the Bahamas, with stops at Nassau, Port Canaveral and Disney’s private island Castaway Key. The Canadian cruises will stop at at Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick.

Rates start at $370 per person for a two-night at-sea sail, $715 for a five-night Canada cruise and $1,240 for an eight-night Bahamas itinerary. The ship calls potentially will bring 45,000 additional embarking passengers into New York City, resulting in an estimated $11 million in direct spending.

The Disney Magic also will service Galveston’s 12 seven-night cruises to the western Caribbean and Mexico, with stops at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel; rates start at $840 per person. The Disney Wonder will sail 14 seven-night cruises from Seattle to British Columbia and Alaska, with stops at Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria. Rates start from $917 per person.

The Disney Magic can accommodate 2,700 passengers with 10 decks. More than 950 cast and crew will be on board the ship. The Disney Cruise Line fleet will expand again in April 2012 with the addition of the Disney Fantasy, a sister-ship to the Disney Magic.

Photo credit: Disney Cruise Line

Related posts:
Spring Break Family Idea? Take a Cruise!
Cruising the Caribbean on Disney Cruise Line