Thurston County divides $150,000 in lodging tax revenue among 16 recipients  

Thurston County awarded $150,000 in lodging tax revenue to 16 chosen applicants this year. 

The lodging tax is an excise tax paid by people who stay overnight in lodging establishments, and revenue may be awarded to organizations to promote the county’s tourism industry, the county’s website.

Thurston County Lodging Tax Coordinator Ellen Massey updated the South Thurston Economic Development Initiative member representatives on the lodging tax proceedings at a meeting at the Senior Center of Rainier on Friday, April 18.  

“The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee made its final recommendations that were approved by the board, and they chose to fund 16 applicants,” Massey said. 

The committee receives applications for lodging tax revenue, and recommends candidates and funding levels to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners for approval. 

The commissioners approved the committee’s recommendation on March 25.  

Massey said the chosen applicants have received the contracts.  

2025 funded projects 

• Thurston County Economic Development Council: $27,200 

• Thurston County Fairgrounds: $26,630 

• Tenino Area Chamber of Commerce: $11,840 

• Olympia Funk Festival: $11,600 

• We love Rainier Washington: $9,020 

• Olympia Harbor Days: $8,850 

• Washington Center for Performing Arts: $8,400 

• Capital Lakefair: $8,400 

• Yelm Chamber of Commerce: $7,200 

• Olympia Flight Museum: $6,300 

• Hands on Children Museum: $6,100 

• Wolf Haven International: $5,600 

• American Lung Association: $5,100 

• Grand Mound Rochester Chamber of Commerce: $3,710 

• Washington State Senior Games: $2,800 

• Grays Harbor Historical Seaport: $1,250 

Purpose 

Lodging tax awards are allotted only for tourism promotion, with services including acquiring tourism-related facilities or operating tourism-related facilities.  

More specifically, the county’s website listed allowable activities. 

• Tourism promotion/marketing 

• Operation of a special event or festival designed to attract tourists 

• Operation of a tourism promotion agency 

• Operation of a tourism-related facility owned or operated by a nonprofit organization 

• Operation and/or capital costs of a tourism-related facility owned by a municipality  

“One update we have this year is sending out the Thurston County logo to include in the sponsorship of the event, and so you can kind of see which events have had LTAC funding this year,” Massey said. 

The South Thurston Economic Development Initiative meets on the third Friday of every month. The next meeting is on May 16 at the City of Yelm Community Center.