The year 2024 saw fewer tourists on Whidbey than the average, but those people spent more money than normal, according to Inge Morascini, marketing and program manager for Embrace Whidbey and Camano Islands.

This year saw an estimated 376,000 new visitors. Between 2004 and 2023, tourism revenue has grown by nearly 53%.

Tourism is the third largest industry on Whidbey, Morascini said at a recent city council meeting, following the Navy and county government. Of all the dollars spent in Oak Harbor, 28.9% are on tourism.

The average stay on Whidbey is 3.9 days, she said, though almost half of tourists stay over six days. This is longer than most destinations generally.

Most of Whidbey’s visitors come from Mount Vernon, Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley and Burlington. Of these, 85.9% are repeat visitors.

This year has seen a rebranding campaign for regenerative tourism, meaning working more closely with the community for interest and ideas.

“What we’re trying to do is attract a public that looks, feels and tastes like we do so that as we have people come into our community, they feel part of us,” Morascini said.

What they’re not trying to do is build a theme park.

“We’re not Disneyland, and we know we’re not Disneyland, and we don’t want to be Disneyland,” she said. “We’re taking our local culture and highlighting it.”

Morascini sees a symbiotic relationship between the locals and the tourists.

“We’re having tourists come, we’re having locals participate in the same activities,” she said, “and we all become friends.”

Embrace Whidbey and Camano Islands developed tools like the GPS bike map, heritage guides and trail guides, brought in stories that highlight local culture and small businesses and formed community partnerships.

Experiential tourism, such as a farmer who offers a cooking class with home-grown produce, has been on the rise, she said. The goal is to provide more experiences and especially ones that local people enjoy.

More than physical visitors, the islands have seen an increase in digital ones.

This year, the tourism organization’s Instagram and Facebook reach has grown 243% with a click increase of 7,500%, as a result of bringing on a social media specialist.

“Putting some attention into that has really moved the needle,” she said.

The overall numbers reflect a critical portion of the local economy, said Councilmember James Marrow.

“The importance of tourism cannot be overestimated with regard to the growth of our city as well as the island as a rule,” he said.