Earlier this month, Travel Oregon announced a new opportunity to help Oregon travel and tourism businesses optimize their Google My Business (GMB) profiles. Portland-based company Locl provides free access to a suite of GMB optimization tools. With Locl, businesses can easily manage GMB profile updates, create offers and events, engage with customer reviews, monitor business performance and act on insights – all in one place and for every location. This opportunity gives Oregon a competitive advantage as we all work to rebuild our once-thriving tourism economy.

If you are an Oregon tourism-related business, sign up at Locl.io/TravelOregon. To learn more, visit the Locl Toolkit or, if you missed it, view the webinar hosted on March 11.

In early March, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a $1.9 trillion dollar relief package that included various relief funds for the tourism industry. This includes a Restaurant Revitalization Fund – a $28.6 billion grant program for food service and drinking establishments – including caterers, brewpubs, taprooms and tasting rooms. The program will be administered by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and while the application period is not yet live, learn more about the program and eligibility here.  Additionally, the SBA announced that it will begin accepting Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) applications on April 8. There will be an online information session about this program on March 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Governor Brown’s office also announced the state’s 10-Point Economic Recovery Plan that will help inform how American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are allocated. The promotion of safe in-state travel is included in the roadmap for economic recovery.

In March, Travel Oregon and 36 partners representing all seven regions participated in the virtual Go West Summit 2021. This annual business-to-business tradeshow brought together top domestic and international tour operators and suppliers from the American West for digital appointments during the five-day event. Travel Oregon and partners met with domestic and international travel companies made up of individual and group tour operators, as well as wholesale buyers and online travel agencies. These meetings laid the groundwork for future leisure business development while demonstrating Oregon’s commitment to welcoming travelers, near and far back to Oregon when the time is right.

Sentiment from Oregon partners and the tour operators they connected with was incredibly positive, a fact supported by Go West Summits’ post event survey indicating that 100% of responding buyers intended to book business into the American West within the next 18 months.  

Resulting business development leads generated during the summit have been provided to RDMO partners for distribution, partner follow up and engagement.