The Olympic Peninsula is teeming with visitors this summer, and their return is a tremendous boost to local economies. At the same time, with local businesses struggling with staffing shortages, summer roadwork often causing traffic delays, and what feels like long lines everywhere, it could be a potential formula for extra tension. Keeping that in mind, the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission (OPTC) is providing buttons to frontline hospitality workers to not only acknowledge their ongoing hard work and to let them know how appreciated they are, but also to give visitors a positive experience while they’re here.

The idea is that everyone can use a friendly reminder about the important (perhaps even essential) values visitors and locals alike can share. With some assistance from the area’s local wildlife, the following buttons were created for frontline staff to wear: Share Respect (Elk), Patience (Blue Heron), Kindness (Olympic Marmot), and Joy (Orca) with the hope that people will embrace the message.

“We hope everyone joins us as we strive to be more like our ‘wildlife ambassadors’ and look for opportunities to share these traits,” said Debbie Wardrop, Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau President and Hotel Manager for 7 Cedars. “And if any of our local businesses would like buttons for staff, please stop by one of our visitor information centers, or chambers of commerce, and ask if they have some to share. We’re wishing everyone a healthy and enjoyable tourism season full of respect, patience, kindness, and joy!”

To learn more about the “wildlife ambassadors” and buttons, go to https://olympicpeninsula.org/our-wildlife-ambassadors-share-positive-messages-with-buttons/.

OPTC is a cooperative marketing partnership among area cities, counties, and marketing entities that, together, have been collaborating to market the broader destination of the Olympic Peninsula to out-of-state visitors. For trip-planning help and tourism information, go to www.OlympicPeninsula.org.