Pike Place Market wants to bring Seattle-area residents back

Pike Place Market wants more locals to return to the historic 9-acre district.

That's one of the key goals of the market's new master plan, adopted by the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority, to guide the district through its pandemic recovery.

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The city as a whole has seen recreational tourism volumes surge back following Covid closures that levied a major economic blow to the market and its vendors. Annual visits to the market are at about 92% of their 2019 levels, per PDA data.

But only one-in-three visitors to the market live in the Puget Sound area, according to the master plan, deterred in the peak season by the influx of tourists coupled with lagging office worker foot traffic, which is at about half of their pre-pandemic figures. Public safety concerns were also cited as a factor for fewer local visitors during nonpeak months.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2024/05/13/pike-place-market-master-plan.html

It's been several years since I've gone there but yes it seemed most people were tourists. There were more people looky-looing than shopping.