Why do tourists come here?

They are our biggest business. It’s what we have to sell. What do they want? What are they looking for?
Because it’s beautiful, charming, relaxing, because it’s very different from their regular life, because it’s nearly rural, surrounded by rural lands, mountains, orchards, a green buffer space on the edge of town.
All these lovely conditions are possible today because of the wisdom that past decision-makers contributed to our town. Those far-sighted decisions have given Leavenworth the charm and popularity it has today.
I wonder if we are taking our popularity and tourism for granted? We seem to be toying with our special status in ways that threaten the quality experience of visitors.
If the City Council wants to encourage tourism, it is not by packing more folks in here. It is giving them the relaxed semi-rural experience that they seek.
Right now a lot of decisions are being made that threaten the relaxing, semi-rural quality that is so highly prized by folks who come here to spend money. Instead the Council seems to be behaving like a standard, ordinary business. You appear to act like corporate Board of Directors, relentlessly advocating: increased tourism, increased business and an increased revenue stream. Which in a corporate business is the standard intention to please shareholders and increase corporate worth.
This is not an appropriate approach for our town. We, the residents, are the stakeholders. Our small town does not benefit from standard corporate strategy – which is known to take corporate assets, make the most of them and often in the process, degrade or destroy those assets!
At some point, tourists will recognize this – because many live in a world where exactly this kind destruction by corporations is happening. They will start to see our town: no longer quiet,
taking on urban-level high density, replacing our semi-rural character,
packed with traffic and resulting pollution
and not as much green space.

We need you to do an honest look at the impacts of development, to properly mitigate projects and protect our unique small-town life. How to do that?
We can proactively advocate as a tourist town - our customers are folks here to enjoy themselves while they spend money. We need to have very high development standards. Require developers to please you the Council, and ultimately the residents – instead of seeking to please developers or bending our standards. When competing for grants, we can openly state that we must have higher standards to continue our reputation as a desirable destination. We are not like every other town! We must realize and validate among ourselves that it’s not only OK to have higher standards. It’s essential to support what causes people to continue to drive distances to come here and have fun!
Ann Crosby
Leavenworth