Chamber director presented 2023 statistics to Chelan Workshop

by Richard Uhlhorn

Mike Steele, executive director of the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, presented an overview of the Chamber’s business to the City Council and Chelan staff at the City’s workshop on Tuesday, April 2.

Steele told the workshop that the Chamber operates as a non-profit organization 501(c)3. He described how the Chamber utilizes lodging taxes (3% lodging tax for every head that hits a bed in Chelan) With a 1,000 hotel rooms in the Valley (not including STRS which also pay the 3% lodging tax) and the funding he receives from Chelan County’s 3% tax), Steele said, “This funding is designed to attract tourists.”

Currently, the Chamber is working for the second year in a row without a contract with the City. The City Council, which had one year to create a new contract with new criteria, authorized $700,000 for the Chamber to use this year. Another $±400,000 comes from the County’s 3% fund.

“Our visitor profile is pretty robust,” said Steele. “We see 8,000 to 9,000 people per day.”

His presentation entitled the Economic & Visitor Profile for 2024 included all the statistics for 2023 as follows:

1. The Chamber serves over 400 members
2. 5.3 million visitors to the Valley in 2023
3. 4.1 million visitors came to the City
4. 1.3 million visitors visited Manson
5. The City’s service and accommodation workforce is 26% of the population. (Many travel from other communities to work in Chelan.)
6. There are 1,075 hotel rooms in the Valley. STRs are not included in this number,
7. $2.1 million dollars is generated from lodging taxes inside the City Limits.

The Chamber generated 15,302,710 reach on all of its platforms and website as follows:
     1. – Facebook, 42,000 followers
     2 – Instagram, 15,600
     3 – TikTok, 709
     4 – X (the old Twitter, 4,000
     5 – Subscribers, 45,907
     6 – Website generated 144,501 page views in 2023.

The Chamber spent $400,000 on marketing efforts last year and another $150,000 on staff.

July and August are the two highest visitor months in the Valley.

The Chamber distributes thousands of visitor guides, local maps and business brochures and manages local ticket sales for local non-profit fundraisers and events.

The Chamber distributes opt-in visitor guides across the United States and Canada. It assists with school projects and internships. Hosts community and non-profit events. Offers free conference room space for its members.

For more information on the Lake Chelan Valley visit the Chamber website at Lakechelan.com.