|
April 4, 2024 Photo by Toni Toreno
| |
Celebrate International Dark Sky Week
This week, April 2-8, marks International Dark Sky Week, a worldwide celebration of the dark and natural night. We’re also celebrating it at the local level—thanks to a proclamation by Governor Kotek, it’s also officially Oregon Dark Sky Week. Protecting and visiting “dark sky” areas is a growing worldwide phenomenon. And that’s great news, because since the invention of electric streetlights and the use of artificial light at night (ALAN), we are losing the natural darkness of night literally at the speed of light. In fact, it’s estimated that 80% of Americans and nearly 33% of all humanity can no longer see the Milky Way from home. Earlier this month, 2.5 million acres of the Oregon Outback was designated as the largest International Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world. This designation enables protections that help ensure the exceptionally dark skies found there will stay that way. But that’s far from the only place to experience Oregon’s dark skies.
| |
Request for Proposal: Regional Cooperative Tourism Program and Oregon Wine Country License Plate Tourism Promotion ProgramTravel Oregon is soliciting proposals to find and retain qualified contractors to serve as Regional Destination Management Organizations (RDMOs) for the Regional Cooperative Tourism Program (RCTP) and recipients of the Oregon Wine Country License Plate Tourism Promotion Program (OWCLPTPP).
Selected contractors will:
- Comply with the statutorily mandated components of the RCTP and OWCLPTPP.
- Comply with the work requirements and expectations illustrated in each program's respective guidelines document.
You are invited to apply for multiple regions for RCTP and OWCLPTPP. Please specify which RCTP and OWCLPTPP regions you are applying for in your cover letter.
| |
Oregon Governor's Conference on Tourism
If you missed this year’s conference, you can find breakout session presentations and general session recordings on Travel Oregon’s industry website.
If you attended the conference, please complete the survey before April 5. We greatly appreciate your time and input. Your response is essential to our 2025 conference planning.
| |
Get Ready for National Travel & Tourism Week Get ready to celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week (NTTW) from May 19-25. NTTW is an annual celebration that underscores travel’s essential role in driving our nation’s economy, cultivating vibrant communities and forging connections.
Established in 1983, NTTW has become a cherished tradition, celebrating the U.S. travel community and highlighting how travel stimulates economic growth, creates quality jobs, inspires new businesses and elevates the quality of life for Americans every day.
| |
Funding Available for Mobi-mats on the Oregon Coast
Along Oregon's Coast, there's a growing demographic of people, including the elderly and people with mobility challenges who cannot easily access beaches and trails. One of the most cost-effective resources for creating easier access to beaches is the use of Mobi-mats. Mobi-mats are temporary weather-proof pathways designed to make uneven terrain accessible to people with mobility challenges. Bringing these mats to trails, beaches or events provides more access and inclusivity to everyone who lives in or visits Oregon's trails and beaches.
The Oregon Coast Visitors Association developed this funding opportunity and created a Mobi-mat toolkit with details about the program.
| |
Agritourism Businesses are Invited to Participate in the National Agritourism Survey
The 2024 National Agritourism Survey is collecting responses, and you are invited to participate. All agricultural operations that welcome visitors – whether for on-farm education, direct sales, entertainment, recreation, special events and more – are invited to complete the survey. If you or your business offer education or rent event space on your farm, have a farmstand, a petting zoo, offer pick-your-own, farm stays, or other on-farm experiences, your insights are crucial.
By participating in this survey, you'll help pinpoint the types of support farmers need– whether it's business assistance, developing networks, applying for grants or navigating zoning and liability issues. The goal of the survey is to help build the resources you need, improve access to critical information and opportunities and shape policy decisions that impact this industry.
If you work in agritourism, please share this opportunity with your networks and encourage those in the industry to participate in the survey.
If you have questions about the survey, contact Claudia Schmidt with Penn State Extension.
| |
2024 Oregon Outdoor Recreation Summit Call for Session Proposals
This event, hosted by the Oregon Trails Coalition, in Partnership with the Oregon Trails Summit, will take place Dec. 5-7, 2024, in Sunriver, Oregon.
Submissions for session proposals are accepted through May 31. Proposals from the full diversity of our Oregon’s outdoor recreation community are encouraged:
- Topics from and about the following: volunteers, academics, public agency and private sector professionals, from urban trails to wilderness, from motorized and non-motorized perspectives, hunters and anglers, and land and water recreation-related topics.
- Seeking all cultural backgrounds, and from all corners of Oregon and those with lessons to share from beyond our state’s borders.
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
