Arts, Culture & Tourism

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Arts, culture, and entertainment are essential to quality of life and placemaking. These sectors help define communities, create educational opportunities, and promote a high quality of life for residents. Support for these unique community assets helps nurture, brand, and inform the region’s creative economy.

The central Puget Sound region is the arts, culture, and entertainment capital of the Pacific Northwest and is an epicenter for collegiate and professional sports. Arts and cultural offerings, and the tourism industry that they support, contribute to an important piece of the regional economy. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, Washington hosted 110 million visitors accounting for $21.9 billion in direct spending.

The economic downturn spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic showed how many employees depend on the health of these industries, and how susceptible many businesses and organizations were to the public health crisis. The region should continue to support these organizations and help make them more resilient to future emergency events.

Challenges and Opportunities

The region has identified the following key issues, opportunities, and challenges in sustaining the region’s economy:

A center of culture and creativity

The region is a hub for the creative class and is known worldwide for having a distinct sense of place that draws residents and employers alike.

Arts and culture attract tourists and visitors

The region is home to diverse areas of natural beauty and cultural assets unlike any other place, which draw visitors from around the world and contribute to a high quality of life for residents.

(New/Expanded) COVID-19 has had a negative impact on tourism, arts, and culture

The global pandemic is having a major impact on arts and cultural activities and reduction in travel and tourism activities have exacerbated these challenges.

Strategic Response

The region has identified the following strategic focus areas for addressing identified challenges and opportunities:

(New/Expanded) Build resiliency into, and increase access to, the region’s arts, culture, and tourism industries

The region should look to build resiliency into arts, culture, and tourism organizations, through increased facilities and offerings, while growing access to those experiences for regional residents.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Continue development of a multi-purpose arena to attract National Basketball Association and National Hockey League franchises and high-profile regional sporting events.
  • Work to complete the expansion of major regional facilities such as the Washington State Convention Center and the new multi-purpose arena at Seattle Center.
  • Identify best practices for arts, culture, and tourism organizations to offer digital offerings to diversify their funding streams and engage a broader community.
  • Work to accelerate the recovery of regional tourism, travel, and hospitality businesses.
  • Identify ways to increase private sector support for the cultural and creative economy.
  • Support strategies focused on expanding access and activities for arts, cultural, and educational opportunities.
  • Continue support for the use of public facilities district as a tool for arts, culture, sports, and entertainment.

Arts, culture, and entertainment are essential to quality of life and placemaking. These sectors help define communities, create educational opportunities, and promote a high quality of life for residents. Support for these unique community assets helps nurture, brand, and inform the region’s creative economy.

The central Puget Sound region is the arts, culture, and entertainment capital of the Pacific Northwest and is an epicenter for collegiate and professional sports. Arts and cultural offerings, and the tourism industry that they support, contribute to an important piece of the regional economy. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, Washington hosted 110 million visitors accounting for $21.9 billion in direct spending.

The economic downturn spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic showed how many employees depend on the health of these industries, and how susceptible many businesses and organizations were to the public health crisis. The region should continue to support these organizations and help make them more resilient to future emergency events.

Challenges and Opportunities

The region has identified the following key issues, opportunities, and challenges in sustaining the region’s economy:

A center of culture and creativity

The region is a hub for the creative class and is known worldwide for having a distinct sense of place that draws residents and employers alike.

Arts and culture attract tourists and visitors

The region is home to diverse areas of natural beauty and cultural assets unlike any other place, which draw visitors from around the world and contribute to a high quality of life for residents.

(New/Expanded) COVID-19 has had a negative impact on tourism, arts, and culture

The global pandemic is having a major impact on arts and cultural activities and reduction in travel and tourism activities have exacerbated these challenges.

Strategic Response

The region has identified the following strategic focus areas for addressing identified challenges and opportunities:

(New/Expanded) Build resiliency into, and increase access to, the region’s arts, culture, and tourism industries

The region should look to build resiliency into arts, culture, and tourism organizations, through increased facilities and offerings, while growing access to those experiences for regional residents.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Continue development of a multi-purpose arena to attract National Basketball Association and National Hockey League franchises and high-profile regional sporting events.
  • Work to complete the expansion of major regional facilities such as the Washington State Convention Center and the new multi-purpose arena at Seattle Center.
  • Identify best practices for arts, culture, and tourism organizations to offer digital offerings to diversify their funding streams and engage a broader community.
  • Work to accelerate the recovery of regional tourism, travel, and hospitality businesses.
  • Identify ways to increase private sector support for the cultural and creative economy.
  • Support strategies focused on expanding access and activities for arts, cultural, and educational opportunities.
  • Continue support for the use of public facilities district as a tool for arts, culture, sports, and entertainment.