About
Resources
  • Action Items & Findings
  • Archive
  • Agenda
  • ​Tourism Bureaus
​Harbour to Harbor
Leadership
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PNWER Regional Tourism Council

The Regional Tourism Council is composed of an elected official and an industry representative from each of our ten PNWER jurisdictions. The Council is currently being led by our Tourism co-chairs, WA Rep. Cindy Ryu and Dave Cowen. Rep. Ryu serves as the Chair of the House Innovation, Community & Economic Development and Veterans Committee. Dave Cowen is the CEO of The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC. The Council is also in the process of formally organizing an advisory committee of tourism and travel representatives and other interest-holders who will serve as subject matter experts and advise the Council on relevant issues. 

About the PNWER Tourism Working Group

The Tourism Working Group works to develop a more interconnected tourism region and facilitate collaboration among industry partners in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. During the year, the Working Group helped to support other initiatives such as the PNWER Preclearance Task Force and the cross-border infrastructure projects which focuses on expediting cross-border travel and tourism. 
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Our major focus areas include:
  • Safe, Sustainable, and Competitive Recovery of Cross-Border Tourism
  • Tourism Marketing
  • Two Nation Vacation
  • Security for Border Crossings
  • Preclearance​

News Feature

Sweating starts on how to handle World Cup throngs in 2026 | Tom Banse, Salish Current
Legions of soccer fans will descend on the Pacific Northwest in peak summer 2026 for the men’s FIFA World Cup. It seems like a long time away, but not if you’re a transportation or travel planner.
The Pacific Northwest will host 13 World Cup matches — split between Seattle and Vancouver. The potential for monumental backups at the U.S.-Canada border as superfans ping-pong between the host cities is one factor causing a range of local figures to raise yellow flags. Event organizers have already passed the ball to the Washington Legislature and Congress with requests for assistance totaling millions of dollars.

Resources

​Tourism is a key economic driver for the PNWER region, averaging $71.4 billion per year in visitor spending. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted the tourism industry and highlighted the value of cross-border travel to the region. In response, PNWER has formed a Regional Tourism Task Force and developed a Northwest Regional Tourism Rebound to address the current crisis and to facilitate industry and government dialogue and collaboration to ensure that cross-border tourism is able to resume safely, sustainably, and competitively. PNWER's Tourism Working Group and Task Force is committed to recovering the vital tourism and travel industry.
Action Items & Findings
2019 Action Items
Develop standards for tourism metrics across the region; enlist the help of key academic institutions to support the annual production of the Tourism Dashboard.
Collaborate with Border Working Group to ensure at least one border metric is presented on the annual PNWER Tourism Dashboard.
Ensure the Tourism Dashboard includes a metric that speaks to the quality of tourism employment that is available in the PNWER Region.
2019 Findings
There is an opportunity to work with the Border working group on the following...
Support and analyze Trusted Traveler Programs: Simplify application process and program offerings, promote attributes and educate tourism industry professionals and public, and monitor customer satisfaction of trusted traveler programs.
From the Two Nation Vacation perspective, synchronize visa processes and border transit requirements for long-haul foreign visitors so they can easily visit each country. Specifically, review border process for group tour operators, and separately, study independent foreign visitors as a separate customer group.
Archive
Agenda
Tourism Bureaus 
Regional Tourism Dashboard
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Harbour to Harbor

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PNWER has long supported “Harbour to Harbor” seaplane service between Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle, Washington. British Columbia and Washington state share significant economic and cultural ties including the remarkably successful Two Nation Vacation initiative that has attracted international visitors and accelerated joint infrastructure and high technology investments.

“Harbour to Harbor” is an important addition to the rich mix of highway, rail, ferry, cruise ship, seaplane and fixed wing aircraft transportation operations that uniquely defines our bi-national region. Vancouver and Seattle share similar innovative, risk-taking cultures and a one hour “Harbour to Harbor” seaplane connection will accelerate the “Cascadia Innovative Corridor” initiative launched by Microsoft and others that has expanded cross-border employment and attracted world wide talent to the region.
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Our regional border security agency leaders also have a well-deserved reputation for cross border cooperation and effectiveness in partnering with private sector transportation providers in deploying innovative, technology based procedures for enhanced security. “Harbour to Harbor” seaplane service affords Transport Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency a new and exciting venue to continue to showcase Canada’s innovative approach.

Related ​Links
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Leadership

Dave Cowen
CEO 
The Butchart Gardens
Co-Chair
Rep. Cindy Ryu
State Representative
Washington State Legislature
Co-Chair

PNWER Staff
Tara Edens
Program Manager, PNWER​
[email protected]
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Banner photo courtesy of Philips Cruises