Chamber presents tourism report; council approves concierge services at Unity Park visitor center

Amy McGuffin, president and CEO of the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, briefed the council on the Chamber’s tourism activities and the organization’s role under the city’s tourism services contract.

McGuffin said the Chamber staff touched by the contract number nine and described programs that reach from youth career pathways to business assistance and marketing. She presented county tourism statistics from private data providers showing roughly 364,000 overnight trips and $187.1 million in visitor spending in a recent 12‑month period in Ellensburg. The Chamber said it manages myellensburg.com, operates the visitor information center on Main Street and is piloting digital “passports” and targeted content to drive visitor spending.

Council members questioned how the Chamber expects Unity Park foot traffic to compare to the prior visitor center and how many visitors the Chamber would serve there; McGuffin said she expects at least the 1,200 annual tourism‑related visitor count the Chamber currently reports, and described a plan to try extended hours and track arrivals with a “tick sheet.”

Later in the meeting the council approved an amendment to the city’s professional services agreement with the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce to add concierge services for the Unity Park visitor information presence. The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee had recommended the amendment. The motion to authorize the city manager to sign Amendment 1 passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: the Chamber’s work combines promotion and direct small‑business support; the approved concierge amendment extends the Chamber’s official role into Unity Park and the city will monitor visitor counts and service hours as the contract begins.