We can’t imagine what would happen to our communities if tourism drastically dropped off.

According to the Dean Runyan Associates 2016 Travel Impacts Report, visitors spent more than $211 million in San Juan County, tourism generated 2,140 jobs and visitors to San Juan County generated $21.2 million in local and state taxes.

Thanks to the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau and local chambers, which promote the islands via national and regional media coverage, magazine and newspaper advertising and daily posting on social media accounts, we are a hot destination.

Your local papers also do their part to foster a positive relationship with visitors. Our tourism guide, called Springtide, is a glossy magazine on all the ferries, the terminals, hotels, resorts, parks and chamber offices across western Washington. It is also online for the year.

The Washington Newspaper Publishers Association has recognized Springtide as an outstanding tourism publication countless times in its annual Better Newspaper Contest.

The magazine features everything a tourist would need to know after choosing the San Juan Islands as a tourist destination. We write stories about ferry travel, camping, farmers markets, wildlife, the arts and much more. We also have a full calendar of events for the year and a two-page color map.

The magazine is also filled with promotions from local advertisers. While the glossy pages are already sold out, there are still color and black and white ad spots left. Consider using Springtide to get your message in front of tourists (and locals!).

We release the guide a few days before Memorial Day, just in time for the launch of the summer travel season.

Previous editions of these publications can be found in the green edition section of our website, www.islandssounder.com.

If you would like more information about advertising in the magazines, please call Colleen Armstrong at 360-376-4500 or email editor@islandssounder.com.

It’s up to us – business owners and community members alike – to make sure visitors have such an incredible experience that they will return, and maybe bring some friends.

We are lucky enough to live here 365 days out of the year, and our communities are sustained by tourism dollars. So when families, wedding parties and bicyclists share our islands with us, be grateful they chose to visit the place we call home.