A handful of travel writers from the region gathered at Bellevue Arts Museum Wednesday evening as part of an effort to make the city more of a travel destination.

Mayor Conrad Lee spoke briefly at the BAM reception, saying that while Bellevue is known for its upscale shops and downtown area, there are hidden treasures in the city, including its rich diversity of cultural offerings, food and events due to a 30 percent foreign-born population.

“We hope you can help people discover our city and all it has to offer,” Lee said .

The event, a kick-off for a three-day familiarization tour for the writers, was put on by the organization, Visit Bellevue Washington. It was only one in a handful of public relations initiatives the organization has been working on to help attract tourists to Bellevue since its launch in 2011.

For more information, go to www.visitbellevuewashington.com.