PORT HADLOCK – The year 1982 was a milestone in Dan Youra’s career – that’s the year he made his first map to show tourists how to get to the North Olympic Peninsula over the newly rebuilt Hood Canal Bridge.
This year, with car ferry service to Port Townsend curtailed, Youra is using more advanced methods to help tourists bridge the gap between the Quimper Peninsula and Whidbey Island.
Youra is the owner of a business that focuses on getting tourists from the Seattle area to come over to the west side of Puget Sound.
Based in Port Hadlock, he is going full speed ahead to reach prospective visitors using methods that go beyond guidebooks.
“The latest is that I can set up businesses with text messaging programs,” Youra said.
“When customers are traveling, they can punch in a code and get alerts that tell them about discounts and coupons, all from a cell phone.
“It’s instantaneous.”
He also uses videos, Web sites and print.