Since the city of Spokane Valley struck out on its own and created an independent branded tourism identity, dubbed “Discover the Valley,” the results have been positive for business and overall exposure, observers say.

“Largely, everyone is very pleased with the progress and direction we’re going,” says Lee Cameron, owner of the Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center and chair of the city’s Tourism Promotion Area Commission. “I don’t see any downsides.” 

In 2022, the city of Spokane Valley voted to secede from the regional tourism promotion area coalition with Spokane County and the city of Spokane. The following year, the city contracted the Spokane office of Boise, Idaho-based marketing agency 116 & West to implement a five-year tourism promotion plan to increase the number of visitors to Spokane Valley and increase the number of hotel stays, which funds the city’s tourism marketing and capital-investment budgets. 

Rod Higgins, council member for the city of Spokane Valley, says the marketing dollars to run the Discover the Valley campaign have been aimed at casting a wider net at people interested in visiting Spokane Valley and spending a night, or several nights, in one of the city’s 16 hotels. 

“We’re not exactly new at the tourism game," Higgins says. "We were part of Visit Spokane, but we felt like we were the poorer stepchildren there.”

Popular events like Valley Fest—a three-day festival in September that highlights the city’s visual and performing arts, education, science, and recreation—historically have been attended by the local community, he says. With the new campaign, however, the Valley is getting far-reaching interest from across the Pacific Northwest and Canada for such local events, prompting visitors to stay for longer than just one night, he says. 

Peggy Doering, executive director of Valley Fest, says geotracking data shows a high number of young families visiting the festival from beyond a 50-mile radius. Additionally, the event attracts outdoor adventurers interested in some of the event’s athletic competitions, such as the cycle celebration and the 5K and 10K river runs. 

“The tourism funds have been well invested,” says Doering, who has led the organization for 29 years. 

Cameron notes that one of the challenges in marketing the city is the fact that “Spokane” is still part of its name, and there is an assumption that people stop paying attention after the first utterance of the city's name.

“So we emphasize 'Discover The Valley,'” Cameron says. “The idea of trying to brand or market the Valley is challenging. It’s going to require a fair amount of exposure.” 

Spokane Valley receives $4 for every night stay in one of the Valley’s hotels or motels. In 2024, it collected $1.4 million in TPA funds, up from $1.3 million in 2023 when the city first began collecting its own tourism promotion funds. Of those funds, $875,000 have been allocated to continue contracting with 116 & West, and $400,000  was allocated to Spokane Sports for sports recruitment and marketing services, City Council meeting records show. 

Additionally, the city collects a 3.3% lodging tax on overnight stays in Spokane Valley, says Higgins, who leads the Lodging Tax Allocation Committee. About 60% of those funds go to annual events; the balance is dedicated to capital projects. 

Sports Tourism

While Spokane Valley has seen a boost in outside interest and overnight stays for its local events and attractions, city and business leaders view sports tourism as a catalyst with the potential to bring large returns on investment. 

John Hohman, city manager for Spokane Valley, says the decision to invest in the city’s sports venues and facilities came as a result of a 2023 tourism strategy assessment that identified that niche as the overarching segment of the industry that could bring the greatest return on investment.  

“We recognized the importance of youth sports and what sports travel does for any region,” he says. 

The report, conducted by Johnson Consulting Group, identified six possible opportunities for investment, including renovations to Plante’s Ferry Sports Complex, a whitewater park development, and an outdoor cross-country and cyclocross venue. 

Using lodging tax funds, the city council allocated nearly $7 million to build a cross-country course, says Hohman. The first phase of construction began in September and is expected to be completed this fall. 

The roughly 46-acre site is located east of Flora Road, south of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, and north of the Spokane River. 

Hohman says the outdoor venue, called the Cross Course, will be a complementary facility that will work in conjunction with the Podium Powered by STCU, on Spokane’s north bank. The site is being designed as a collegiate and post-collegiate championship course that will host youth sports in the warmer summer seasons, before they transition indoors to the Podium in the winter months, he says. 

Ashley Blake, the CEO of Spokane Sports, has been instrumental in the execution of the project, he says. 

Keytra Lewis, marketing and communications director for Spokane Sports, says the 2023 study by Tourism Economics revealed that sports tourism in Spokane supports 549 part-time and full-time jobs and generates $86.7 million in annual business sales. Total tax revenue reached $14.1 million with $7.8 million from local and state taxes and $6.3 million from federal sources. 

“In 2023, 169,000 unique sports travelers visited staying an average of 3.1 days,” Lewis says. “With the addition of the Cross Course, we expect these figures to rise, further establishing our region as a sports tourism destination.” 

Blake says the facility will draw high-profile competitions, fueling local businesses, generating jobs, and significantly boosting the local economy.

“Building a Cross Course in Spokane Valley represents a pivotal investment in our sports tourism sector, establishing our region as a preeminent destination,” Blake says. 

Cameron, of the Mirabeau Park Hotel, says he hopes to see continued growth in sports tourism and signals the need to improve all the venues in the city's perimeter. 

"Plante's Ferry would probably be the next major venue that could reach various field sports and would be a big plus for the Valley, for tourism, and lodging," he says. "I'm hopeful we can move in that direction."