How vampire novels can influence local economies

Another reason why vampire novels are good for you and me. Even in this day and age of financial hardships, one Washington town is getting a boost in their economy from Stephanie Meyer‘s Twilight series. Forks, Washington is reporting a 48 percent increase in lodging tax revenue. The town is settled in the Olympic Peninsula, not too far from Seattle. Kinda. Here’s a map:


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Travel industry officials told the Peninsula Daily News that fans of the vampire novels have been making the drive to the Forks to get a bats-eye view of the haunts of Isabella Swan, Edward Cullen and Jacob Black. I don’t know if this is true, but I heard a rumor that Meyer’s picked Forks after goggling the city in the US with the highest rain totals. A trailer is now available for the first movie taken from the books, with a release date of 11/21/08. Here’s a gander:

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer