Reeling from millions in lost tourism revenues, three West Coast states are teaming up to urge tourists they are open for business despite raging wildfires.
California, Oregon and Washington states have formed the West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition to remind tourists each state is safe and only about 1% of land in the three states has been impacted by fires.
"As we shift into crisis recovery mode, competition takes a backseat," said Caroline Beteta, president of Visit California.
"The real crisis for the tourism industry isn’t the fire itself but the news coverage and conversation around the fire. Videos can be alarming and cause people to cancel their trip, particularly international trips."
Oregon says it lost about $51 million in tourism revenues last year, based on a wildfire study by Travel Oregon.
"Fire and smoke may not care much about state lines, but we do care about the experience and the perception that it’s inaccessible due to the fires," said Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson.
The new coalition says there are no plans for an immediate ad campaign to educate potential visitors but they are working with tourism businesses and residents to get the message across that the states are open and welcoming tourists.
Shiloh Burgess, co-chair of Washington Tourism Alliance says there have been cancelations from tour groups due to fears over poor air quality.
The Seattle region in particular has been suffering from smoke and haze and air quality remains poor in San Francisco and Oakland, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
