Check Out Our (very) Short Film Cronicling Our Project Adventures at Lake Quinault

So, we're admittedly no Ken Burns, but our team's documentaryette chronicling our adventures at Lake Quinault, Olympic National Park is still worth a watch. It clocks in at under 5 minutes, making it a perfect break from your busy day. We hope it inspires you to take a trip to Lake Quinault and Olympic National Park...soon! click to watch

Outcomes of Expedia Sustainable Tourism Consultancy in Quinault

Expedia team member Geoff presents tourism strategy to community

A week ago today the Expedia team concluded our on-the-ground consultancy work in the Quinault region of Olympic National Park and departed for our respective homes in Seattle, London and Hong Kong. Our 12-day adventure culminated with a community forum that was attended by several dozen local stakeholders, including members of the Quinault Indian Nation, Lake Quinault business and tourism operators, community members, Forest Service and Olympic National Park staff, and ONP Superintendent Karen Gustin.

Our 90 minute presentation encapsulated our team's sustainable tourism recommendations including a new regional brand identity, sales & marketing strategy, web presence and design, and a suite of sustainable tourism products. The priority actions we recommended to the community included:

1. Adopting a common brand for the Lake Quinault region
2. Forming an active Lake Quinault Visitors Bureau
3. Creating a website focused on tourism in Lake Quinault
4. Driving tourism awareness through PR & word of mouth
5. Developing and promoting sustainable tourism products

Though I'd love to share the new brand identity and logo concepts here, I'll save that unveiling opportunity for the newly formed Lake Quinault Visitor's Bureau. The LQVB will include representation from the diverse stakeholder groups in the region, and will be open to anyone with an interest in supporting the region's efforts to establish tourism as a viable part of the local economy. The LQVB will host its inaugural meeting in mid-November to revisit the Expedia recommendations and create their action plan.

Expedia looks forward to continued involvement with the Lake Quinault community and Olympic National Park to ensure that the project momentum continues and suceeds.

Expedia team members sporting our matching Lake Quinault gear

Expedia's Bridget with local resident Jim Carlson

Expedia Leadership Joins Team in Lake Quinault for Final Presentation

~ Guest blog by Expedia VP & General Manager of Destination Services and Expedia Local Expert ~

Yesterday I drove 3 ½ hours from our office in Bellevue to Lake Quinault. As one of the executive sponsors of this project, I am here to support the team as they prepare and present their final recommendations to the local community this evening. I am struck by two things.

First, what a special location this is! I have visited Olympic National Park before, but never this side of it. The lake is stunning, especially surrounded by mountains and epic trees, among them the tallest Sitka Spruce in the world. The air is deliciously refreshing. Everything is bathed in cool rain and brilliant sunshine, sometimes simultaneously. The buildings are rustic and comfortable, decorated with historic photos, art from the local Native American Indian Nation, and artifacts from the logging industry. All of this creates a tranquil setting that evokes the generations of diverse people who have lived, worked, and relaxed here. It all makes me want to put on my boots and head straight into the forest.

Second, what a tremendous contribution Expedia and the eight members of the project team are making to this community and to the overall World Heritage mission! Yesterday and today, I have been with the team as they calmly but passionately discuss their insights from the last 10 days, refine their recommendations, and test their presentations with each other. I am impressed by how much this team has accomplished in a short time, including not only their observations and expertise about the location, but also the relationships that they have developed with a variety of stakeholders in this community. I am impressed by the energy they are dedicating to ensure that this work has enduring positive impact (among other things, the team room was still full of activity when at 11:30 pm last night). Perhaps most of all, I am impressed by the way that each team member is bringing her/his professional Expedia expertise to bear, whether it be developing a compelling identify and brand for the destination, creating compelling imagery and graphics, designing a website, formulating new sustainable tourism products, or defining a targeted set of promotions.

I am looking forward to the discussion with the community tonight. And I am proud to be part of Expedia.

Expedia Team Introduces Local Students to World Heritage

Expedia team member Ian Terry spent his lunch hour visiting with students at Lake Quinault High School today. After providing each student with World Heritage maps, they had an interactive discussion about the students' travel and career aspirations, as well as what makes their Lake Quinault community and Olympic National Park so special.
"It was great to interact with the youth of the area, take in their perspectives on their hometown, and learn about their personal aspirations. We've spent nearly two weeks engaged with regional leaders and found it important to connect with young people to hear their voices."

Tourism Development Workshop Stimulates Community Discussion

On Thursday evening, the Expedia team hosted a community workshop focused on taking a tourism product idea from concept through implementation to long-term sustainability. Team member Ian Terry (above) led the group in a hands on exercise and discussion that asked attendees to consider their personal talents, interests and backgrounds in discovering innovative business ideas in the tourism sector.

Riddle: What's The Sign of a Good Sawyer?

thoughts from team member Walter Haugland

On Monday morning we set out on a 30 mile loop drive of the Lake Quinault area with our hosts from the Quinault Lodge and the Olympic National Park. The first stop was a cedar shingle factory in Neilton, a small town about 5 miles from Lake Quinault. Learning about the forestry products industry is integral to understanding the area. Due to a variety of factors, this factory, as most like it, is not running. We got a tour from a watchman named Wally, who showed us around the factory, explained the inner workings of a shingle factory, and talked proudly of the time it was running at full tilt. A key part of learning about tourism in the area is learning about the heritage and what the economy has been based on.

Oh and the answer to my riddle: (What's The Sign of a Good Sawyer?) 10 fingers.

Tools of the trade: saw used for making cedar shingles

Q: What Do Salmon, Roosevelt Elk and Vampires Have in Common?

A: On day four of our adventure, the Expedia team had close encounters with all of the above. Ok, maybe not the vampires - but Geoff, Walter and George did visit Forks as a part of their exploration of the northern Olympic National Park region. While up north, they also encountered a sizable bull Elk on their trek through the Hoh Rainforest. Meanwhile, Charity, Laura, Megan, Bridget and Ian spent the day as guests of the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN). The QIN community tour included visits through the Quinault Pride Seafood operation, the Tribal museum, area beaches and a delicious homecooked meal featuring traditional foods.

Geoff, George and Walter in Forks

Walter meets a Roosevelt Elk

Bridget, Chariti and Laura at the Quinault Pride Seafood plant