Bavarian Bulletin - March 31,  2026 Edition

From the State of Washington Tourism Press Release:

On March 26, Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2325 (E2SHB 2325) into law. The bill enables the state’s private sector tourism industry to create, ratify and oversee an industry self-supported assessment that generates competitive annual funding for State of Washington Tourism, the official state destination marketing organization.  

Preliminary projections for annual program funding levels generated by the assessment could boost Washington from among the least-funded state tourism programs in the U.S. to close to the national average. Firm projections will be made once total industry participation is determined in the rule making process.

The new funding would be used to restart domestic marketing campaigns to attract leisure travelers to Washington, as well as expand international marketing and travel trade efforts to position the state as a premier destination in the U.S. Marketing efforts would be designed to drive overnight visitors who stay longer and spend more. The program of work would emphasize building a sustainable, year-round tourism economy and be developed and refined in partnership with, and with oversight from, assessment ratepayers. 

Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce Admin Office

940 US Hwy 2, Ste. B

Mondays - Fridays, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

EXTENDED: The temporary SBA recovery center at the Chamber closes on Friday, April 3rd

Stop by the Business Recovery Center, open now, to speak with a representative.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. 

Read SBA’s full press release at County of Chelan, Washington.

Spring Parking Lot Repairs Begin March 29: Temporary Closures and Alternative Parking

This spring, the City of Leavenworth is kicking off maintenance and repairs on five city parking lots. This means temporarily closing the lots while the contractor works. From March 29 to April 6, Central Washington Asphalt will begin work at:

• Enchantments Lot (City Hall/Library)
• Parking Office Lot (former car wash)

Where to Park? If you are visiting City Hall or the Library, please use the Dragontail Lot right next door. It will be available for folks—and free to park—while Enchantments is closed to undergo repairs.

Maintenance for the Freund, Dragontail, and Blewett lots is up next. Stay tuned for those dates! For full project details: cityofleavenworth.com/projects/parking-lot-improvements/. The City knows construction can be a bit of a headache, and appreciates your patience while they put your parking dollars to work on these improvements!

Where do people go at Leavenworth.org? Here are the TOP TEN pages of the last 30 days:

1. Live Webcam
2. Home Page
3. BLOG: Scenic and Stress Free - Alternative Ways to Get to Leavenworth Without Driving
4. Leavenworth Marketplace (A digital campaign was done for this page over the winter)
5. Attractions
6. Lodging
7. BLOG: Everything Bavarian
8. Oktoberfest
9. Dining
10. Maifest - Spring campaign launched in early March

Great to see some trip planning blogs getting some attention!  

_{*Remember, these are footfalls counted by five cameras locations on Front Street. The numbers are NOT individual people counts, those numbers would be lower.}  

Websites
Leavenworthchamber.org
Leavenworth.org

Our mailing address is:
Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce

PO Box 327
940 Highway 2 Suite B
Leavenworth, WA 98826-0327

If you have questions, please call us at (509)548-5807

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