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Experience Olympia & Beyond tells Yelm council it’s using AI and targeted advertising to drive overnight stays
Summary
Shauna, interim CEO of Experience Olympia & Beyond, briefed the Yelm City Council Feb. 3 on regional tourism metrics, a $1.4 million operating budget, new AI ‘chat personalities’ for the tourism website, and plans to refresh a Yelm visitor guide; she noted Yelm’s 2026 LTAC contribution of $7,000.
Shauna, interim CEO of Experience Olympia & Beyond, told the Yelm City Council at a Feb. 3 study session that the regional destination marketing organization is focusing on converting day visitors into overnight stays, introducing AI tools and refining visitor materials to increase lodging tax revenue for Thurston County. “My name is Shauna and I am interim CEO,” she said, describing a nine-month interim contract while the organization recruits a permanent executive.
Shauna said the organization’s operating budget is about $1,400,000 and that Yelm’s Local Tax and Accommodation Charge (LTAC) contribution for 2026 is $7,000. She described the funding mix as primarily lodging tax and tourism promotion assessments, with…
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