Come on in, the water ride’s free

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Visitor bureau partners with hotels to fill rooms.

Kitsap County has plenty to offer visitors year-round, tourism officials say. And between now and March 31, 2009, visitors can get a free ferry ride to come discover Kitsap for themselves.

The Kitsap Peninsula Vistor and Convention Bureau has partnered with Kitsap hoteliers to reimburse the cost of a ferry ride for tourists who book their reservations through www.freeferry.com.

Participating Bainbridge establishments include the The Eagle Harbor Inn, Bainbridge Island Beach Cottage, Holly Lane Gardens Bed and Breakfast and Best Western Bainbridge Island Suites.

The reimbursement is offered as a carrot on a stick to spur tourism during the fall and winter.

“Tourism historically takes a bit of a dive after the fall season,” said Grant Griffin, executive director of Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau. That dive historically lasts through March.

The free ferry ticket program, which began Dec. 2, has already been a boost for Best Western on Bainbridge, said general manager Linda Thurrott.

Covering ferry tickets isn’t a large expenditure for the hotel, but helps smooth the trip for visitors who are often concerned about the cost of ferry tickets.

“So far we’ve already had two phone calls that have resulted in two reservations,” Thurott said. “It seems to be something that catches their eye and creates interest, so we’re excited about it.”

So far this year, the occupancy rates – the number of hotel rooms booked during a set time, like a calendar month – have dropped about 5 percent from last year.

Statistics gleaned from hotel rooms throughout the county point to 62.6 percent of hotel rooms being booked compared to 66.2 this time last year, Griffin said.

“That’s the reason we’re doing this promotion,” he said. “We’ve got to get those numbers back up again. (Tourism) really is the lifeblood of what we’re all about.”

The tourism dollars, however, are slightly up as the average daily rate hotels charge in Kitsap has gone up, increasing the revenue brought in for each room.

On average, hotels are charging $94.02 per night, compared to last year’s $85.93.

“The revenue is up, but the occupancy is down. That’s not a good trend,” Griffin said, adding that hotels can increase revenue by raising rates.

Some hotels are appealing to visitors’ pocketbooks by offering affordable prices.

“At this date and time you’ll find most hotels are offering really good rates this time of year,” he said.

In the center of the county, curiosity about Kitsap abounds, according to Silverdale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Darla Murker, and interest in the county is always present.

The Bremerton Area Chamber of Commerce tells a similar story.

“We haven’t seen much of a decrease (in tourism) but we hear the doom and gloom,” she said.

Bainbridge Review reporter Tad Sooter contributed to this report.