Dear Oregon tourism partners,

The events of the last few weeks, and the violence in Minnesota that led to the senseless death of George Floyd has weighed heavy on us all and exposed again how deeply rooted racism and institutional bias is across our country. The inexplicable deaths and violence against black Americans must stop.

We at Travel Oregon will commit to spend time to reflect on how as an agency, and how each of us individually as Oregonians, can contribute to the change that must occur if we are to uphold the values of human rights, equity and social justice. 

Travel Oregon’s role in this larger cause will require us to look honestly at how we have approached our work in the past and be committed to making changes as we go forward. This work starts with actively seeking other voices and perspectives that we may not have engaged in the past. It means we must listen, learn and be willing to grow. It means renewing our agency-wide work around equity and inclusion. It means acknowledging what we don’t know and accepting responsibility when we make mistakes.  It means leading conversations amongst our staff and engaging others in the communities across our state to help make Oregon the welcoming place we want it to be for everyone. 

We hope you share this commitment and that we can work together across our state to do our part to advance equity, opportunity and social justice.

In solidarity, 
Todd Davidson
CEO, Travel Oregon