The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, has awarded $800,225 to local Oregon businesses to support job retention and stabilization through a newly created COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant Program. The agency redirected its standard scheduled competitive medium grant cycle and reallocated this funding to help support operational costs for local, small tourism businesses with the goal of maintaining jobs and the ability to keep doors open when travel resumes. Eligible applicants included lodging properties, tour operators, guides and outfitters, federally recognized tribes and destination marketing organizations (DMOs).
In total, 332 applications were submitted with 121 awarded in 30 Oregon counties. More than 90% of the funds are awarded to businesses in Oregon communities with fewer than 35,000 residents and more than 70% of the funds are dedicated to cover some portion of payroll expenses.
“Our hope is that these grant dollars help keep businesses and organizations from shuttering permanently. As Oregon gradually positions itself to begin to welcome visitors, it will be these marketing organizations, small lodging properties, guides and outfitters and the like that will be providing and sharing legendary Oregon experiences with them,” said Todd Davidson, CEO Travel Oregon. “Public health has to remain a priority for our state as we help Oregon communities that rely on tourism to stabilize during this time of transition. Long-term, it is these businesses that will be crucial to the state’s economic recovery.”
The 121 grant projects funded will be completed (funding spent) by December 31, 2020.
For more information on Travel Oregon’s grants program visit: industry.traveloregon.com/grants.
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant awardees are:
Destination Marketing Organizations
- Albany Visitors Association, Albany ($10,000)
- Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, Astoria ($10,000)
- Baker County Unlimited, Baker City ($5,000)
- Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, Cannon Beach ($10,000)
- City of Lincoln City, Lincoln City ($10,000)
- City of Seaside Visitors Bureau, Seaside ($10,000)
- Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs, West Linn ($5,000)
- Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor and Convention Bureau, Coos Bay ($10,000)
- Dallas Area Visitors Center, Dallas ($5,000)
- Depoe Bay Chamber of Commerce, Depoe Bay ($5,000)
- Eastern Oregon Visitors Association, La Grande ($10,000)
- Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, Forest Grove ($5,000)
- Heppner Chamber of Commerce, Heppner ($5,000)
- Hood River County Chamber of Commerce, Hood River ($10,000)
- Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, Cave Junction ($5,000)
- Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville ($5,000)
- La Pine Chamber of Commerce, La Pine ($5,000)
- Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, Pendleton ($5,000)
- Redmond Chamber of Commerce, Redmond ($5,000)
- Reedsport/Winchester Chamber of Commerce, Reedsport ($5,000)
- Sherwood Area Chamber of Commerce, Sherwood ($2,500)
- Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, Sisters ($10,000)
- Sutherlin Area Chamber of Commerce, Sutherlin ($5,000)
- Tillamook Coast Visitors Association dba Visit Tillamook, Tillamook ($10,000)
- Travel Ashland, Ashland ($5,000)
- Travel Baker County, Baker City ($10,000)
- Umatilla County Tourism, Pendleton ($5,000)
- Union County Chamber of Commerce, La Grande ($10,000)
- Visit Corvallis, Corvallis ($10,000)
- Visit Newberg, Newberg ($10,000)
- Waldport Chamber of Commerce, Waldport ($5,000)
- Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise ($2,500)
- Willamette Valley Visitors Association, Salem ($10,000)
Lodging Properties
- Balch Hotel, Dufur ($5,000)
- Days Inn, Klamath Falls ($5,000)
- Aspen Inn, Fort Klamath ($5,000)
- Embarcadero Resort Hotel & Marina, Newport ($10,000)
- Bandon Wayside Motel & RV, Bandon ($2,500)
- Sheltered Nook on Tillamook Bay, Bay City ($5,000)
- Cannon Beach Property Management, Cannon Beach ($10,000)
- Captain Cook Inn, Lincoln City ($10,000)
- Cascade Motel, Oakridge ($5,000)
- Edgewater Cottages, Waldport ($2,500)
- City Center Motel, Prineville ($5,000)
- Coast Cabins LLC, Manzanita ($10,000)
- Columbia Gorge Vacation Rentals, Hood River ($5,000)
- Crater Lake Country Suites, Medford ($2,500)
- Douglas on Third Boutique Lodging, McMinnville ($10,000)
- D Sands Motel, Lincoln City ($10,000)
- Days Inn Portland Central, Portland ($5,000)
- DreamGivers Inn LLC, Newberg ($5,000)
- Grande Hot Springs RV Resort, La Grande ($10,000)
- McKenzie River Mountain Resort, Blue River ($10,000)
- Ecola Properties, Cannon Beach ($5,000)
- Elan Guest Suites & Gallery, Jacksonville ($2,500)
- Prospect Historic Hotel-Motel and Dinner House, Prospect ($5,000)
- Geiser Grand Hotel, Baker City ($5,000)
- Greenway Motel, Redmond ($5,000)
- Harbick’s Country Inn, Blue River ($10,000)
- Horse Creek Lodge & Outfitters, McKenzie Bridge ($5,000)
- Leaping Lamb Farm LLC, Alsea ($5,000)
- Lonesome Duck Ranch, Chiloquin ($5,000)
- Columbia Inn, Astoria ($5,000)
- McKenzie Orchards Bend and Breakfast, Springfield ($2,500)
- River Run Lodge, Maupin ($2,500)
- Mountain Getaway Lodging, Enterprise ($10,000)
- Hotel Condon, Condon ($10,000)
- North Fork 53, Nehalem ($5,000)
- Ocean Creek Bed and Breakfast, Yachats ($2,500)
- Ocean Inn, Manzanita ($10,000)
- Ocean Terrace Condominiums, Lincoln City ($10,000)
- Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast, Parkdale ($5,000)
- On The Beachfront Properties LLC, Lincoln City ($10,000)
- Umpqua’s Last Resort Wilderness Cabins, RV Park and Glamping, Idleyld Park ($10,000)
- Oversea Condominiums, Lincoln City ($5,000)
- Painted Hills Vacation Rentals LLC, Mitchell ($5,000)
- Travelodge Pendleton, Pendleton ($5,000)
- Holiday Motel, Forest Grove ($2,500)
- Forest Grove Inn, Forest Grove ($5,000)
- River Bend Motel, Spray ($5,000)
- Rovers RV Park, Waldport ($5,000)
- Itty Bitty Inn, North Bend ($2,500)
- Le Puy, A Wine Valley Inn, Newberg ($5,000)
- Seashore Hotel, Seaside ($5,000)
- Seaside Oceanfront Inn, Seaside ($10,000)
- Travelodge Suites, Newberg ($5,000)
- Steamboat Inn, Idleyld Park ($5,000)
- Summit Meadow Cabins, Government Camp ($4,225)
- Territorial Bed and Breakfast and Barn, Junction City ($2,500)
- The Terimore Motel, Netarts ($10,000)
- Timbers Motel, Eugene ($10,000)
- Crater Lake Resort, Fort Klamath ($10,000)
- Comfort Inn Troutdale, Troutdale ($5,000)
- Turtlejanes Bed and Breakfast, Oceanside ($5,000)
- Tyee Lodge Oceanfront Bed and Breakfast, Newport ($2,500)
- Westfir Lodge and Mountain Market, Westfir ($5,000)
- Willamette Wine Country RV Park & The Vintages Trailer Resort, Dayton ($10,000)
Tour Operators, Guides and Outfitters
- Cog Wild Bicycle Tours, Oakridge ($5,000)
- Crater Lake Zipline LLC, Klamath Falls ($10,000)
- Deschutes River Adventures, Maupin ($10,000)
- Garibaldi Charters, Garibaldi ($10,000)
- Haystack Fishing Club, Inc., Pacific City ($2,500)
- America’s Hub World Tours, Oregon City ($10,000)
- Imperial River Company, Maupin ($5,000)
- Indigo Creek Outfitters, Phoenix ($5,000)
- Jerry’s Rogue Jets, Gold Beach ($5,000)
- Krein Consulting LLC, Maupin ($5,000)
- Marine Discovery Tours, Newport ($5,000)
- Momentum River Expeditions Inc., Ashland ($10,000)
- Northwest Rafting Company, Hood River ($10,000)
- Paulina Plunge Inc., Bend ($2,500)
- River Drifters White Water Tours, Inc., Maupin ($9,000)
- Gray Line of Portland, Portland ($10,000)
- Roe Outfitters LLC, Klamath Falls ($5,000)
- Safari Town Surf Shop, Lincoln City ($5,000)
- Steens Mountain Running Camp, Eugene ($10,000)
- Travel Dream West Tours, Inc., Talent ($7,000)
- US-J Connect, Inc., Portland ($10,000)
- Winding Waters River Expeditions, Joseph ($10,000)
Federally Recognized Tribes
- Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, Pendleton ($10,000)
- Oregon Coast Glassworks, Newport ($2,500)