CSL International Selected to Lead Thurston County Destination Master Plan

OLYMPIA (August 16, 2023) – Experience Olympia and Beyond (EOB), Thurston County's visitor and convention bureau, is excited to announce that after a month-long open bidding process, Conventions Sports Leisure (CSL) International LLC was selected and retained to produce a 10-Year Destination Master Plan for Thurston County.

According to Experience Olympia & Beyond CEO Annette Pitts, “Our destination, its workforce, and our organization have navigated tremendous difficulty throughout the past few years as we served and supported Thurston County’s hospitality and tourism industry, residents, and visitors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Since this time, we’ve set our vision on the future; we reimagined and rebuilt our organization, and now it’s time to do the same thing for the county we serve and its workforce.”

Producing a 10-Year Destination Master Plan provides a roadmap that will enhance Thurston County’s competitive position relative to other desirable tourism destinations, balancing visitors’ needs and wants with quality-of-life protections for local stakeholders and residents. Through robust research and collaboration, the process will reveal Thurston County’s ideal shared future and identify what resources will be needed to bring that vision to life. The plan should not only focus on the vision however—it should also serve as a plan unifier—considering Thurston County communities’ numerous plans already in place—comprehensive plans, transportation plans, conservation plans, etc.—and aim to reveal each plan’s common goals and values. “To complete this lofty goal, we know partnerships will be key,” Pitts explains. “We’re excited to work with Thurston County, each of the cities we serve, the Thurston Chamber of Commerce, the Thurston Economic Development Council, the Olympia Downtown Alliance, the Port of Olympia, the Nisqually, Chehalis, and Squaxin Tribes, and numerous community-based organizations and groups. We also know we need an exceptional consultant that excels in balancing local community sentiment with visitor needs and wants, and CSL International is perfectly suited for the job.”

CSL International was selected as the agency of record for this project by the EOB Executive Committee due to the company’s combined experience and expertise successfully developing and helping implement like projects in other communities around the country. While numerous proposals were submitted by tourism industry heavy-hitters, CSL International was the clear front runner early on due to their exceptional proposal, attention to detail, and glowing references from community leaders in destinations including Palm Springs, CA, Lexington, KY and August, GA.

“CSL is thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to work with Experience Olympia & Beyond and destination stakeholders on the Destination Master Plan for Thurston County,” explained CSL Project Manager Tyler Othen. “With its natural beauty and abundance of culture, we look forward to finding ways to evolve and protect the Thurston County destination for the benefit of both its visitors and its residents. We find time and time again that our Plans are just as exciting for residents as they are for visitors, and it will be critical to involve the local community as we develop this Plan to ensure that we’re building a place to live, work and play for all.”

For more information on Experience Olympia and Beyond, please visit experienceolympia.com.
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About Experience Olympia & Beyond

Experience Olympia & Beyond is the official destination marketing organization of Thurston County and Thurston County’s Sports Commission. A naturally inspired, approachable destination situated at the foot of Puget Sound, one hour south of Seattle and two hours north of Portland by car, Washington’s capital community inspires handcrafted getaways. The region is perfect for hosting meetings, sporting events and weddings. With more than 2,700 lodging rooms throughout Thurston County, there are several options, ranging from unique bed-and-breakfasts to hotels. For more information, visit experienceolympia.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@ExperienceOly).

Media Contact:
Annette Pitts, CEO, annette@experienceolympia.com