[mhays]

Tourism varies a lot more than visitor numbers or spending would suggest. A lot of metros and downtowns get a lot of business travel without being major tourist draws.

Likewise, you can do well with tourism from your own region but not be on the map across the country or ocean.

Seattle isn't on the first tier by any stretch. We do ok on the business visitor side but that's more about individuals since our convention center is too small. Like most places, our largest visitor counts are from our own region, like Portland, Vancouver, and Spokane. But we've gotten a boost from cruise ships in recent years, as that pie has grown and we've gone from Vancouver having nearly everything to more of an even divide. That brings people who wouldn't come otherwise. Also, we've been adding more Asian flights, and China especially has burst onto the scene as a major tourist source.

I used to not think of Seattle as a big tourist destination, but it seems to be rising in the second tier. Downtown room nights have nearly doubled in 20 years. Neighborhoods like the Pike Place Market, the central Waterfront, the hotel core around the convention center and main retail district, and Seattle Center (Space Needle, museums, etc.) are all at least half about tourists now. I doubt many people fly from overseas just to see our urban charms, but we've cobbled together a lot of good niches.