June 30. 2021 Photo by Justin Myers Photography

Governor Brown Lifts Statewide COVID-19 Restrictions

Today, Executive Order 21-15 goes into effect, lifting all remaining COVID-19 health and safety restrictions that were previously issued, including the statewide mask mandate, the county risk level system, restrictions on businesses and other sectors for capacity limits, physical distancing, closing times and more.

Following federal guidance, some statewide mask requirements may stay in place in specialized settings including airports, public transportation and health care settings. Additionally, businesses may choose to continue to require patrons to wear face coverings. We encourage visitors to be patient, flexible and kind – and mask up if asked to do so, fully vaccinated or not.

Travel Oregon’s Travel Alerts page and FAQs have been updated. Please feel free to use those links in your messaging to visitors.

Find the most up-to-date information at coronavirus.oregon.gov and weekly reports at Oregon Health Authority.

Direct questions to industry@traveloregon.com.

Governor's Conference Sessions Available to View

For those of you who were able to join this year’s virtual Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism, thank you. Your participation helped to make the conference a success. If you were unable to attend or would like to see a session again, they’re available on the Travel Oregon industry YouTube channel:

This was Travel Oregon’s first virtual Governor’s Conference. Please take a moment to complete a brief survey that will help us improve future conferences.

Save the date! We look forward to seeing you next year at the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism, March 14-16, 2022 in Sunriver.

Access Small Business Marketing Webinar Recordings

The latest webinars in Travel Oregon’s Small Business Marketing Series are now available to view on the industry Youtube channel. Get tips for creating engaging social media content on a budget from Vicki and Vanessa Ng of @foodbellypdx and learn how to maximize your Google My Business profil e using Locl. For more marketing resources and webinars, explore the full Small Business Marketing Series.

Dry Conditions Heading into 4th of July

Yesterday Governor Brown declared a state of emergency due to the imminent threat of wildfire across Oregon. On the heels of record-breaking high temperatures, much of the state is in high or extreme fire danger with red flag warnings in effect for hot, dry, windy conditions and dry thunderstorms. Remember: Almost 90% of wildfires in Oregon and Washington in 2020 were human caused.

Please share the following tips with visitors through your communication channels heading into the holiday weekend:

Celebrate safely, leave fireworks at home: Fireworks are prohibited in national forests at all times, regardless of weather or conditions.
Fire danger risk is increasing: As humidity drops, temperatures rise, and vegetation dries out, our risk of wildfire increases. Know before you go.
Recreation updates: Many recreation sites are still closed due to the large fires and historic Labor Day windstorm in 2020. Visit the Recreation Site Status Map for more details.

Multnomah Falls Permit System Webinar, July 14

Join the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to learn about the Multnomah Falls Advance Reservation Ticketing System that will be piloted mid to late July.

To mitigate congestion and safety-related issues at Multnomah Falls Exit 31 and on the Historic Columbia River Highway, it has become necessary to implement strategies that would manage the number of vehicles accessing Multnomah Falls. The USFS, in partnership with ODOT and Columbia Area Transit, will pilot an advance reservation ticketing system beginning mid to late July. The system is designed to reduce congestion and improve access to the site.

Employees of tour companies, DMCs, transportation companies, step-on guides and other frontline hospitality workers are encouraged to attend to stay informed about these changes at one of the region's key attractions.

Registration coming soon.