Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority

What Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority does

Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority (SSRTA) is a quasi-governmental nonprofit regional destination marketing organization founded in 2002, serving the cities of Tukwila, SeaTac, and Des Moines in Washington State. The organization promotes tourism to the Seattle Southside region — a corridor located 15 minutes south of downtown Seattle and 20 minutes north of Tacoma, anchored by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and connected by light rail to Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, and Climate Pledge Arena. It serves three primary audiences: leisure travelers and tourists planning Pacific Northwest trips; sports fans attending regional professional and amateur events; and meeting, event, and group tour planners seeking RFP services and venue referrals.

The core platform is seattlesouthside.com, complemented by mobile digital experiences built on Bandwango technology, including the free Seattle Southside Savings Pass, the Microadventure Maximizer Tool (a persona-based interactive trip planner with three user modes), and themed digital trails (Happy Hour Trail with 29+ stops, Bubble Tea Trail with 24+ shops, Scenes Trail, and UFO Mysteries Trail). Supporting products include an event calendar, trip itinerary builder, video series (Seattle Southside Stories), and a Partner Benefits Program providing free marketing exposure to 100+ local tourism businesses. The technology stack relies on third-party platforms: Google Maps for location services, RootRex for hotel bookings, Threshold 360 for virtual tours, Google Analytics and Quantcast for measurement, and standard social media integrations across six platforms reaching 50,000 followers and 500,000 monthly impressions.

The business model combines hotel commission referrals from on-site bookings, advertising and sponsorship placements on the website and newsletter, and tourism partnership participation — with no membership dues charged to partner businesses. The organization's 2026 strategic focus is FIFA World Cup 2026 activations across multiple SeaTac sites, supported by a refreshed Partner Benefits Program. With 11–50 employees and no public revenue disclosure, SSRTA operates as a regional marketing intermediary whose financial model is typical of U.S. destination marketing organizations funded primarily through lodging tax assessments or governmental appropriations rather than direct commercial monetization.

Name

Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority

Legal name

Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority

Website

https://seattlesouthside.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority is a quasi-governmental nonprofit destination marketing organization that promotes tourism to Tukwila, SeaTac, and Des Moines, Washington. It operates seattlesouthside.com, mobile savings passes, digital trails, and a Partner Benefits Program serving 100+ local tourism businesses and regional visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Inbound/Local Retail Travel Agencies (Destination Booking Offices) (THAKABAH)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Tourism promotion organization
• Visitor information platform
• Hotel booking referrals
• Event calendar services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Tourism Partnership Fees: The RTA works with local tourism-related businesses in SeaTac, Tukwila, and Des Moines, providing marketing exposure in exchange for partnership participation. No membership dues required for local businesses to join the partner program.
2. Hotel Commission Referrals: Operates hotel booking engine on website that drives reservations to partner hotels, generating referral revenue when visitors book stays.
3. Advertising and Sponsorship: Offers advertising opportunities on website, in newsletters, and at events to tourism-related businesses seeking visibility to visitors.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority is the official regional destination marketing organization for the cities of Tukwila, SeaTac, and Des Moines, Washington. It operates a digital tourism platform (seattlesouthside.com) providing trip-planning content, an event calendar, business directories, hotel booking referrals, and curated digital experiences including the Savings Pass, Microadventure Maximizer, and themed digital trails. The organization also runs a free Partner Benefits Program that delivers marketing exposure to 100+ local tourism businesses.

Product overview

Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority operates a digital platform centered on its tourism website (SeattleSouthside.com) complemented by mobile digital experiences. The core offerings include the Seattle Southside Savings Pass (mobile discount pass), Microadventure Maximizer Tool (interactive trip planner), curated trails (Happy Hour Trail, Bubble Tea Trail, UFO Mysteries Trail, Scenes Trail), and the Seattle Southside Stories video series. The organization also provides a Partner Benefits Program offering free marketing services to local tourism businesses. Key integrated tools include Google Maps for location services, Bandwango for mobile pass technology, and various social media platforms for content distribution. The 2026 FIFA World Cup activations represent the largest planned product expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Seattle Southside RTA: Shortened form of the organization's name used in privacy policy and legal documents

Products and services

• seattlesouthside.com Website Primary digital platform providing tourism information for the Seattle Southside region (Tukwila, SeaTac, Des Moines), including attractions, dining, lodging, events, and trip-planning resources for visitors.
• Seattle Southside Savings Pass Free mobile digital savings pass delivering exclusive discounts at participating restaurants, attractions, and local businesses in SeaTac, Tukwila, and Des Moines, with no app download required; delivered via text and email.
• Microadventure Maximizer Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• 40.9 million annual visitors to the Seattle region generating $7.9 billion economic impact
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tourism-Related Businesses in SeaTac, Tukwila, and Des MoinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCore partner network of 100+ local tourism businesses including hotels, restaurants, attractions, and tour operators who receive marketing exposure through the RTA's website, social media, and Savings Pass platform in exchange for promotional participation. No membership dues required for eligible local businesses.
• BandwangocoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform provider for the Seattle Southside Savings Pass and themed digital trails including UFO Mysteries Trail and Scenes Trail. Bandwango hosts the mobile pass experience and handles digital voucher redemption for participating businesses.
• Westfield SouthcenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor retail destination partner featuring prominently in shopping coverage with millions of square feet of retail space and multiple food hall options including Filipino dining (Jollibee, Red Ribbon, Crispy Town, Seafood City/Grill City).
• Local Sports Teams (Seattle Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders, Kraken, Storm, Seawolves)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with professional sports teams to promote the region as an ideal base for attending games at Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, and Climate Pledge Arena, with transportation guidance via light rail.
• Link Light RailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation partnership highlighting light rail access from Seattle Southside stations (Angle Lake, SeaTac/Airport, Tukwila International Blvd) to stadiums, downtown Seattle, and regional attractions.
• Seattle-Tacoma International AirportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirport partnership positioning Seattle Southside as the convenient lodging and dining destination for SEA Airport travelers, featuring nearby accommodations and restaurants.
• Seattle Cruise Port TerminalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCruise port partnership providing pre/post cruise itineraries, luggage transfer services, and nearby accommodation options for cruise passengers departing from Seattle.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Travel Tacoma: Tacoma's regional tourism authority covering Pierce County and Mt. Rainier gateway. SSRTA explicitly positions its region as 20 minutes north of Tacoma, making this a directly comparable destination marketing organization serving an adjacent Washington destination.
• Visit Seattle: The official destination marketing organization for the City of Seattle. Direct peer running a parallel CVB model in the same metro, competing for the same visitor traffic, hotel bookings, and meeting planner mindshare that SSRTA targets.
• Visit Bellevue Washington: DMO for Bellevue, WA on Seattle's eastside. Comparable mid-sized suburban DMO model operating in the same metropolitan region, with similar hotel/restaurant directory, event calendar, and meeting planner services.
• Visit Spokane: Washington state's inland tourism DMO. Comparable regional authority structure with partner programs, event promotion, and meeting planner services targeting a similar mid-sized destination.

Others

• Bandwango: Mobile digital pass and voucher platform that SSRTA uses to power its Savings Pass and themed trails. Closest enabling technology partner; other regional DMOs on Bandwango represent the most directly comparable digital engagement stack.
• Simpleview: Leading CRM, CMS, and digital marketing platform vendor specifically built for destination marketing organizations. Many SSRTA peers run on Simpleview, and it represents the typical DMO technology backbone.
• Tourism Cares: Industry nonprofit advancing sustainable tourism and uniting DMOs, destinations, and travel companies. Comparable nonprofit quasi-governmental tourism ecosystem player, useful for benchmarking governance and funding models.

Broad incumbents

• Travel Portland: Municipal DMO for Portland, OR running a similar destination marketing playbook with visitor guides, partner directories, and hotel referral revenue. Comparable PNW positioning and mid-size city destination profile.
• Choose Chicago: Major municipal DMO serving Chicago with hotel referral, partner programs, and meeting planner services at much larger scale. Useful comparable for understanding how SSRTA's B2B monetization could scale at maturity.
• Destination DC: Large, well-resourced destination marketing organization for Washington, DC. Comparable CVB/DMO structure with hotel commission revenue, partner programs, and meeting planner services, but at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/seattlesouthside1
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeattleSouthside
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seattle-southside-regional-tourism-authority
• Instagraminstagram.com/seattlesouthside
• TikToktiktok.com/@seattle_southside
• Pinterestpinterest.com/seattlesouthsid/boards
• Xx.com/SeattleSouthsid

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority