An understandably modest crowd (the weather outside was stellar) gathered at the West Seattle Senior Center on the evening of June 20 to discuss the concept of sustainable tourism with a panel of local figures and experts. The event was hosted by Sustainable West Seattle.

The panel included Patti Mullen, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce president, Alki Kayak Tours and Mountain to Sound Outfitters owner Greg Whittaker, and Heidi Siegelbaum and Steve Gersman of Calyx Sustainable Tourism, a consultant company.

What is sustainable tourism?
Calyx defines sustainable tourism as “integrating host communities with tourism development, creating new tourism businesses and connecting rural and urban communities” with the goal of protecting “community assets – local culture, people, land and our proud tradition of innovative spirit in the Pacific Northwest.” (from their website). Siegelbaum added that it is critical to work closely with community and neighborhood groups to identify and ensure protection of West Seattle’s culture, history, natural resources and economic base (we have a lot of small businesses, a possible attraction) if they are to become marketed for tourism.

Sustainable West Seattle locally defines this brand of tourism development as offering “the potential to share with visitors the diverse wonders of our peninsula and help create a vibrant and sustainable economic engine for West Seattle business.”

Mullen kicked off the discussion by echoing the above definitions, adding that the Chamber’s goal is to help shape sustainable tourism by “connecting the dots.” By working with the local government, she said, the chamber encourages tourism by adding boat slips on Alki or information panels that advocate West Seattle’s trail systems.

A slew of ideas
After a definition of sustainable tourism was established, the majority of Monday night’s forum shifted into a brainstorming session with the panel and audience.

Beyond Alki Beach when the weather is nice, it was unanimously agreed upon that West Seattle doesn’t have well defined tourist destinations, to the point, some said, where even locals aren’t aware of what the peninsula has to offer.

Whittaker of Alki Kayak Tours is an example of sustainable tourism in action today, and he said West Seattle should look at more low impact activities (“not ripping ATVs through parks”), unobtrusive observation of wildlife (bird watching, low-tide sea life tours), educational tours and staycations (vacations in your local area).

Whittaker said his kayak tours of the Duwamish have been doing well recently and he suggested further restoration on the industrial-wracked river to encourage more tourism. On a similar note, Whittaker mentioned the upcoming Northwest Paddle Festival, put on by Alki Kayak, held at Jack Block Park June 25-26 (Herald coverage found here).

Gersman with Calyx said experiential learning (making meaning from direct experience) is currently booming in tourism and encouraged West Seattleites to consider developing tourism with it in mind.

An audience member suggested focusing on West Seattle’s environmental consciousness as a tourist magnet. The greener we become, the more attractive we become to environmentally-focused travelers.

Additional ideas included more car free days on Alki, a continuous trail system linking West Seattle’s green spaces so a hike doesn’t end quickly at Home Depot’s parking lot (for example), a Native American boat replica for Duwamish River tours, edible foraging tours in West Seattle parks, bed and breakfast tours and encouraging people to camp at Camp Long (urban camping that is open to the public).

Challenges in bringing sustainable tourism to West Seattle
The question was raised: What does West Seattle need to bring more tourists here?

Answers from the crowd included better bus service to the peninsula on weekends, a prominent icon to bring people here (like Fremont’s troll sculpture) and doing something about the visual downer that is the West Seattle Bridge.

Concerning the bridge, Siegelbaum said she recently spoke with King County Executive Dow Constantine and he asked her, “What does West Seattle need to bring in more tourists?”

“Tourism is a perception game,” she responded. She told him the bridge needs to be painted (or somehow made more attractive) because portals are important to lure tourists in and it currently looks like the bridge leads to an “industrial outpost” rather than West Seattle’s vibrant offerings.

The final challenge, of course, is the balancing game of bringing in more tourists while maintaining the West Seattle culture and way of life. Audience members voiced concern over increased traffic (like we see on Alki at times). One woman painted a grim picture of every store on the Alki waterfront selling racks upon racks of postcards instead of holding to their current uniqueness.

To get involved in the conversation, contact Sustainable West Seattle.