Glossy tourism brochures, visitors information centers, and a county-wide tourism promotion effort scored big money this week when Island County handed out more than $84,000 in tourism-specific tax receipts.

The board voted Monday to fund a variety of Island County economic institutions through revenues from the 2 percent hotel-motel lodging tax.

Revenues from the tax have been used for several years to fund activities and organizations that promote tourism in the county. In the past, those selected to recieve the money have included chambers of commerce, art organizations, and the Island District Economic Development Council.

The hotel-motel taxes are collected out of general sales taxes on overnight room rentals at hotels, motels and bed and breakfast establishments. The total allotment for this year’s payouts was $84,210.

On a unanimous vote, the commissioners went with $12,000 to the Langley Chamber of commerce and $6,650 to the Freeland Chamber of Commerce to pay for tourism promotion programs. The Freeland Chamber’s money will go toward publishing an information brochure and operational costs. The Langley Chamber will spend its money on a tourism recruitment brochure, on its visitor information center, and on its tourism and marketing program.

The largest line item on the list of 2 percent projects was funding renewal for the EDC. The organization received $29,000 for a county-wide tourism marketing program.

Sharon Hart, the EDC’s executive director, said the EDC money is earmarked for use by the Island County Chamber Coalition, which is focusing on reinvigorating tourism on the island after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the resulting slump in travel.

“We’re very pleased,” Hart said of the grant. “It’s a tremendous show of support by the commissioners. I think the timing is really appropriate.”

Hart said the effect following Sept. 11 on the local hospitality industry was “pretty devastating,” and tthe recent funding will go toward various advertising campaigns that promote Whidbey Island tourism.

“We’re trying to do our part to help the situation as much as we can,” said Hart.

Loretta Martin, Langley Chamber of Commerce director, said this is the first time in five years the commissioners have fully funded the coalition’s request.

“It’s really forward-thinking,” Martin said of the commissioners’ decision. The money is used primarily in national print advertising, she said. “We got the budget we asked for. We can do a good national campaign.”

The coalition’s funding is for 2002. After that, a separate, continuing countywide tourism promotion effort will be funded by an additional 2 percent lodging tax now being collected countywide. A marketing firm to lead that effort is being sought, Martin said.

Whidbey Island’s other chambers of commerce also received individual funding Monday, which will allow chamber offices to stay open and handle tourist inquiries. The Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce received the most of any island chamber at $14,990.

Heidi Kuzina, director of tourism and events for the Oak Harbor Chamber, said the $11,000 her organization will receive is about what she expected and will help with several projects.

“We’re working on a new brochure,” she said. “We need a nice lure brochure.”

The “lure brochure” would be a colorful, pictorial publication aimed at attracting people to the island. Langley and Freeland have such brochures, Kuzina said, but Oak Harbor does not. The Oak Harbor Chamber provides an informational brochure, but it’s not designed to attract people to the area.

“We’re working on a real professional looking piece,” she said.

(Whidbey News-Times Editor Jim Larsen contributed to this story.)