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2016-2017 Oregon Tourism Studios Announced
Travel Oregon is pleased to announce the following communities have been selected for the 2016-2017 Oregon Tourism Studio programs:
Fall/Winter 2016- Rural Tourism Studio Accelerator: Newberry Country (La Pine, Sunriver, Three Rivers South, Gilchrist, Crescent, Fork Rock, Silver Lake, Christmas Valley and Chemult)
- Bicycle Tourism Studio: East Lane County
Winter/Spring 2017- Rural Tourism Studio: Coos County & Coquille River Valley
- Bicycle Tourism & Agritourism Studio: Umpqua Valley
- Agritourism Studio: Tillamook County
Fall/Winter 2017- Klamath Basin*
- Sandy, Estacada and the Villages of Mt. Hood*
*program type TBD
If you are interested in participating in one of the scheduled Tourism Studios, please contact Destination Development Coordinator, Elena Vizzini at Elena@TravelOregon.com.
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Action Teams from Gorge Tourism Studio Capitalize on Local Momentum April 2016 marked a successful end to the Gorge Tourism Studio program. Hosted through a series of eight workshops, the Gorge Tourism Studio engaged a record number of 220 community participants. Due to the uniqueness of the region, the Gorge Tourism Studio included bi-state participation, with approximately 30% of attendees coming from Washington. Additionally, The National Park Service Lewis and Clark National Trail, a program sponsor, also sent three representatives from their national office in Omaha, NE to participate in the regional workshops. A key next step following the program includes the evolution of the bi-state regional coalition of tourism industry stakeholders that comprised the Gorge Tourism Studio Steering Committee into the “Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance.” This network will be responsible for setting strategic direction for sustainable tourism in the region and for the coordination and management of the action teams that will begin fulfilling the regional vision. The Columbia River Gorge Visitors Association (CRGVA) is currently serving as the convener of this network and will be supported by a full-time graduate student awarded through the University of Oregon’s Resource Assistance for Rural Economies (RARE) program for the upcoming year. If you would like to be involved with this effort or action team work, please contact CRGVA President, Casey Roeder, by emailing casey@skamania.org or by calling 509-427-8911.
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Arch Rock Brewing Company Earns Accolades
Gold Beach’s Arch Rock Brewing Company and its head brewer James Smith were named the "Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster" in the category of Very Small Brewing Company at the 2016 World Beer Cup competition in Philadelphia, PA. Arch Rock’s prestigious award joins the growing list of accolades along the Wild Rivers Coast since its participation in the Oregon Tourism Studio program from October 2014 to April 2015. These success will be documented in an upcoming Communities Powered by Travel video. Stay tuned for its release!
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| Tourism Studio Gathering Update In mid-April 2016, more than 50 community and industry leaders from every corner of the state came together at the second annual Oregon Tourism Studio Gathering at Hamley’s Slickfork Saloon in Pendleton, OR. During this intensive two-day gathering, representatives from all 10 of the graduate communities presented their experience with the Oregon Tourism Studio program and provided updates on the progress of their leadership and action teams. Time was also allocated for discussion of key statewide tourism development issues including: capacity building, car-free transportation options, frontline staff education, wayfinding and signage, business development and support, 2017 eclipse management and how to match tour operators with destinations. Outcomes from these discussions will help inform Travel Oregon development strategy in the coming years. Every participant shared their insights and lessons learned from leading tourism development work after the completion of an Oregon Tourism Studio. Several common factors for success in RTS action teams included: - Willingness to pursue collaborative opportunities
- Local capacity and champions to complete projects
- Extensive community buy-in
- Understanding the benefits (and limitations) of tourism funding support networks
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Transit Network Grants Awarded
The Oregon Department of Transportation recently awarded $811,471 of grant funding to 10 projects around the state that enhance Oregon’s statewide fixed route transit network. Projects recommended for funding include a vehicle purchase, site improvements, a shared-use path and electronic data solutions. Read more about the projects that were funded and see how your community may be impacted.
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Top banner image by Tyler Roemer
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Upcoming EventsSept. 10-17, 2016
Myrtle Creek, Ore.
Cycle Oregon Sept. 17-18, 2016
Heppner, Ore.
Blue Mountain Century Ride Sept. 17-18, 2016
Estacada, Ore.
Cascading Rivers Ride Sept. 17 and Sept. 24, 2016
Crater Lake, Ore.
Ride the Rim 2016 Sept. 22-25, 2016
Tokyo, Japan
JATA Tourism Expo Japan
Oct. 3, 2016
Roseburg, Ore.
Travel Oregon 101
Oct. 4, 2016
Crater Lake, Ore.
Oregon Tourism Commission Meeting
Oct. 18, 2016
Garibaldi, Ore.
Travel Oregon 101 held as a session at the Inaugural 2016 People's Coast Summit
Oct. 21-Dec. 13, 2016
TBD
East Lane County Bicycle Tourism Studio
Oct. 28, 2016
Bend, Ore.
Oregon Bicycle Tourism Partnership Meeting
Nov. 1-28, 2016
La Pine, Ore.
Newberry Country Rural Tourism Studio
Mar. 20-21, 2017
Portland, Ore.
Oregon Active Transportation Summit
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