CITY OF UNION GAP REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) TOURISM PROMOTER / COORDINATOR Issue Date: May 5, 2026 Due Date: May 28, 2026 The City of Union Gap, Washington ("City") is soliciting proposals from qualified persons or firms to provide professional services to promote and coordinate tourism within the City. Proposals should include details on how the services will be provided and the compensation the requester will seek. Three (3) copies of proposal packages responsive to this solicitation must be submitted on or before 5:00 P.M. on May 28, 2026. Packages can be mailed or delivered to the City of Union Gap, ATTN: Lynette Bisconer, Director of Finance and Administration, 102 West Ahtanum Road, Union Gap, Washington 98903. Questions regarding this solicitation should be directed to Lynette Bisconer by email or telephone at lynette.bisconer@uniongapwa.gov (509) 248-0432. Proposals should discuss how the applicant will meet the Scope of Work provided below. BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION The City of Union Gap collects lodging taxes pursuant to RCW 67.28 and can expend the money collected in the manner provided therein. One way the City may use these monies is to fund a Tourism Promoter/Coordinator position. Consistent with the requirements of RCW 67.28, any person or entity submitting a proposal to expend lodging tax revenues for tourism promotion or coordination services must provide the City with estimates demonstrating how the requested funds will increase the number of people traveling for business or leisure. These estimates must address travel that results in one or more of the following: Individuals traveling away from their place of residence or business and staying overnight in paid accommodations; Individuals traveling to a destination located fifty (50) miles or more one way from their place of residence or business; or Individuals traveling from another county or from outside the state. Furthermore, any person or entity selected to receive lodging tax revenues for tourism promotion or coordination must submit a report to the City detailing the actual results achieved. This report must quantify the number of people traveling for business or leisure purposes consistent with the same criteria outlined above, including: Overnight stays in paid accommodations; Travel of fifty (50) miles or more one way; or Travel originating from outside the county or state. SCOPE OF WORK The Scope of Work will include, at a minimum, the following elements: General duties: Direct, manage, or coordinate the promotion, marketing, and advertising designed and implemented to attract tourists to the City of Union Gap. Specific duties: The duties identified below are representative of the services that may be required under this contract. The City reserves the right to require performance of some, all, or additional related duties as reasonably necessary to achieve the objective of tourism promotion. Direct, manage, or coordinate the marketing of the City to professional meeting planners, and promote familiarization tours for interested meeting planners. Attend tourism industry trade shows as needed, where contact with tour operators, tour brokers, convention and meeting planners, and media provides direct opportunities to market Union Gap as a tourist destination. Create or coordinate with allied agencies a database to evaluate and track why persons visit the City of Union Gap, the purposes of their stays, and whether they engage in any tourist activities while in the City. Conduct familiarization tours for interested groups to showcase the City's tourist attractions and to showcase the City's overnight accommodations. Coordinate with hotel and motel operators to facilitate such tours. Conduct public relations related to tourism, coordinate and promote tours for media groups, and work with media to highlight tourism in Union Gap. Design, create, or coordinate promotional materials and campaigns highlighting events and attractions within the City. Develop budgets for promotions for City review. Coordinate with other groups and agencies engaging in promotion of tourism within the Yakima Valley, including but not limited to Central Washington Agricultural Museum, State Fair Park, Yakima Valley Tourism, and Yakima Valley Sports Commission. Maintain a web and social media presence for the City of Union Gap for purposes of tourism. Facilitate links with other websites related to tourism in the Yakima Valley. Maintain a current-events calendar and a list of attractions on the website for internet access. Create or coordinate a reproducible calendar of events with tourist related news to be distributed on the web, in hard copy, and to media and promotional outlets. Create community relations by establishing a speaking schedule to appear before affected business groups, local jurisdictions, and other potentially interested groups within the City of Union Gap and Yakima Valley to make determinations about destination marketing needs and explore creative ways by which to promote tourism to Union Gap and the Yakima Valley. Engage in any other activities that would help to promote tourism to the City of Union Gap. Promote open lines of communication with the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and report on a monthly basis to the Committee regarding results from various efforts under this contract that can be reduced to traceable criteria or statistics. In accordance with RCW 67.28.1816, provide an annual report with an estimate of how the lodging tax funds will increase the number of people traveling for business or pleasure on a trip away from their place of residence or business, including travelers staying overnight in paid accommodations, traveling fifty miles or more one way from their residence or business, or traveling from another country or state. Recipients must also submit a report describing the actual number of such travelers generated by the funded activity. Work with Union Gap event coordinators, such as the Valley Mall, Central Washington Agriculture Museum, the Genealogical Society, and others, to promote and advertise their events to maximize attendance and attract out-of-town visitors. Create, build upon, coordinate, and attend Union Gap signature events, such as Burger Week, Haunted October, Asparafest, and others. Following evaluation of the proposals, the City may interview applicants. TERMS AND CONDITIONS The City of Union Gap reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any and all irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This solicitation for Tourism Promoter/Coordinator does not obligate the City to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of a proposal. This solicitation does not obligate the City to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services. IPL0338504 May 13,20,27 2026