Happy National Travel and Tourism Week (May 2-8, 2021)! This year, as Bellevue celebrates National Travel & Tourism Week we recognize the #PowerOfTravel and our industry’s important role in reconnecting our vibrant and growing community, helping to restore our economy, restarting in-person meetings + business travel, and rebuilding our workforce.

We invite you to explore our content and resources and share them with the media, elected officials, community stakeholders, and the public to share how the Power of Travel will continue to help drive Bellevue's recovery. 

Communities in Puget Sound are teaming up to introduce and promote an all-new Puget Sound Craft Beer Passport. Consumers will be encouraged to download the free digital passport which introduces them to Breweries around the Puget Sound area. The promotion is free for our area breweries to participate in; when customers who have downloaded the passport arrive within 200 feet of your brewery/tap-house, they will automatically be prompted to check in. The passport also allows you to offer one of the following discounts or incentives:

• Buy One Pint, Get One Pint Free
• $__ Off Beer Flight
• $4 Pint of Seasonal Craft
• $2 Beer Taster
• 10% Off Total Bill

To be listed and highlighted as a check-in location please contact Stephanie Steele!

The new Restaurant Revitalization Fund applications opened this week. The SBA will accept applications from all eligible applicants, but only process and fund priority group applications for the first 21 days – these are applications where the applicant has self-certified that it is owned by women, veterans, or socially + economically disadvantaged individuals.  Since applications are being processed in the order in which they are received, it’s imperative that interested applicants submit their applications this week. 

While the new CDC cruise guidance released last week does not mean an immediate return to the Alaska cruise season for our region, it provides a possible window of hope for a late summer restart. The new guidance provides the requirements and guidance for cruise lines and ports to restart. The industry also continues to urge Canada to also provide a path forward. 

The Bellevue REI Boathouses are open for the 2021 season at Meydenbauer Bay Park and Enatai Beach. It’s time to hit the water of Lake Washington, reserve a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard every Thurs-Sun. or contact the team for a tour or special event.

Visit Bellevue has established three new Tourism Councils which are key to our future destination programs, and we invite you to become active as a council participant. Visit Bellevue Councils are comprised of individuals, partners, and stakeholders who come together to consult and deliberate to develop ideas, objectives, strategies, and future programs and will meet three (3) to four (4) times annually and provide regular reports, data, and recommendations. Click here to apply!

Starting in early April, Visit Bellevue will hold monthly Partner Orientation Meetups which are designed to educate and inform our partners and stakeholders how to maximize their many complimentary Visit Bellevue benefits and leverage these for their own marketing, sales and visitors experience efforts. Please contact Stephanie Steele for more information and to sign up for a future session.