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

Black Tailed Deer Befriend Expedia Team

During our hike on the Maple Glade Trail to Kestner Homestead, a family of Black Tailed Deer joined us on the path and led our team as we meandered through the rain forest.

Netherland Visitors Stumble Upon Lake Quinault

We met these adventurous ladies from the Netherlands (and their huggable salmon) near the popular fireside area of the Lake Quinault Lodge on Wednesday morning. As part of our sustainable tourism consultancy project, we've been chatting up visitors in Lake Quinault to find out how they ended up here. Though some report that they specifically set out to vacation in the area, many travelers report that they have stumbled upon Lake Quinault by accident as part of their trek through Olympic National Park. More importantly, when they arrive, they absolutely love the natural spaces, wildlife and hospitality that they discover here. Therein lies the heart of our team's challenge - to shine a light on Lake Quinault as a destination in and of itself so that it evolves from a "stumble upon" to a "must visit" destination in the Park.

Clark W. Grizwold is Envious...

...that's right, the Expedia team made a stop at the World's Largest Spruce Tree in the Lake Quinault Community - it is quite a tourist draw. This big guy is estimated to be 1,000 years old and stands at 191 feet. The big Spruce is also one of many fun stops along the Lake Quinault letterboxing excursion. A must see when you are venturing in and around Olympic National Park!

Expedia Sustainable Tourism Community Forum Convenes Region's Stakeholders

Our team was excited to host our first formal event in Quinault - our kickoff and community forum on Monday, October 19. Nearly 30 residents representing various local stakeholder groups and businesses attended the event at the Lake Quinault Lodge to learn about Expedia's work in the region and share their ideas about sustainable tourism. The room was abuzz with ideas, insights and enthusiasm.

George, George, George of the Rainforest...

For the past 13 years I’ve called the Seattle area my home and I’ve enjoyed dozens of visits to the Olympic Peninsula. I’ve kayaked, snowshoed, hiked and backpacked the wild mountains and rugged coast. Over the next two weeks, I’m looking forward to meeting the stakeholders and residents of the Lake Quinault community and learning more about the natural area and culture. I especially love to introduce friends and family members to the natural areas of Washington, so for me this is an exciting opportunity to get the word out about a hidden gem.

- Team member George Hatoun

Noted Quinault Indian Nation Photographer Larry Workman on Quinault's Unique Beauty

“Some of the things I love about the Lake Quinault area are the astounding array of habitats. Some of the tallest trees in Washington State are found here. Moss and fern covered trees make up part of the greatest temperate rain forest in the world. Views of mountains are present from the shores of the lake and along the Quinault River and Quinault loop road. Elk and other wildlife are often present. Trails lead to rugged sub-alpine forested peaks and ridges above the lake with spectacular views from the ocean to Mount Rainier and beyond.

Even overcast days provide the wonderful photo opportunities in the forest. All seasons are enjoyable in the valley. Also, the Queets Olympic National Park Corridor is only about 30 minutes from Amanda Park and provides an incredible rain forest experience.”

Shout out from our friends at the UN Foundation!

“There are currently 890 World Heritage sites in 148 countries around the world. Some have existed since before time itself. Some represent the greatest achievements of civilizations gone by. All represent the precious times that humankind, or Mother Nature, got it right. Expedia’s sustainable tourism consultancy projects are a fantastic example of how members of the tourism industry are working with local stakeholders to protect our planet’s natural and cultural treasures while promoting sustainable tourism and empowering communities. In June 2006, Expedia employees went to Sian Ka’an – one of three natural World Heritage sites in Mexico. There, Expedia employees partnered with Community Tours Sian Ka'an (CTSK)—a local, predominantly Mayan-owned tourism cooperative that works to protect the delicate mix of coral reefs, mangroves, clear deep water pools, and forests. After the Expedia project, CTSK experienced revenue growth of more than 125 percent, and was recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Equator Prize, given biannually to the world’s most innovative community sustainable development project initiatives.

As a founding member of the World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (WHA) – a global community committed to the conservation of World Heritage sites and the well being of local people – Expedia understands the importance of sustainable tourism and is committed to World Heritage conservation. Like us, these volunteer employee teams believe that everyone has a part to play in the conservation of our global heritage. Want to help? Learn more at www.worldheritagealliance.org.”

Team member Laura jets from Hong Kong to Olympic National Park

As I’m looking out of my window at the mountains of Hong Kong, I’m looking forward to swapping this view for that of the Olympic National Park later this week. I’m tremendously excited about the project and in particular, meeting members of the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN). The research I’ve done so far demonstrates that there is a lot of potential to grow sustainable tourism in the area. It will be interesting when I arrive to hear the opinions of the community on how this can be done and work closely with the QIN to achieve the goals of the project…

Expedia employees provide tourism expertise to Lake Quinault region of Olympic National Park

Welcome to the Expedia, Inc. World Heritage Team blog!

As part of Expedia, Inc.’s corporate citizenship strategy we sponsor sustainable tourism consultancy projects to support small communities near World Heritage sites. Expedia underwrites all costs of the project work, which is managed by volunteer teams of highly-skilled and enthusiastic Expedia employees.

For two weeks this October, Expedia is sending a team of eight employees from our offices around the globe to Olympic National Park in Washington State. Our team will be working with Lake Quinault community stakeholders to help them develop and strengthen local tourism assets with a focus on sustainability. Our team's consulting expertise includes tourism product development, branding, sales, marketing and web development. Not familiar with the Lake Quinault region of Olympic National Park? It's a hidden gem...Learn more