Monthly Archives: March 2017

Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism

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Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Each spring, Oregon’s travel and tourism industry comes together at the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism to educate, share and develop new ways to create the best Oregon experience possible for our visitors and the industry itself. Access to Oregon’s key travel and tourism industry players at the conference is an unparalleled resource for individuals new to the industry or to the state, or those who want to become more involved at a local, regional, state or national level. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to learn about tourism trends, best practices and the latest thinking around product development, social media, marketing, and other travel and tourism industry topics and trends.

Mark your calendars for May 10-12, 2017 and join us at the Salem Convention Center. Register today – early bird rates end March 31st!

Whale Watching Week

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Gray Whale

People come from all over the world to learn about the gray whales that travel along the Oregon coast. This year the spring Whale Watching Week takes place March 25, 2017-April 1, 2017. During this time “Whale Watching Spoken Here” volunteers are stationed at great whale watching sites up and down the coast to provide assistance in spotting whales from shore. You may also want to get out on the water with one of the Charter Boats offereing Whale Watching Tours! 

Whales are visible from Oregon’s shores all year long although some months are better than others. In the winter we watch nearly 20,000 gray whales from mid-December through mid-January as they travel south to the warm lagoons of Baja, Mexico. Spring watching begins in late March as the gray whales travel north on their way to Alaska. The first surge swims by around the end of March and we watch the north-bound whales all the way until June.

Check out this map for a list of 24 designated locations volunteers will be staffed during the upcoming Whale Watching Week, including the location nearest you.

 

Culinary and Agritourism Workshop

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Clam chowder and tuna melt

The third installment of the Southern Oregon Coast Rural Tourism Studio presented by Travel Oregon will take place March 21st and 22nd in Bandon. The Rural Tourism Studio consists of a series of workshops focused on local economic development through tourism in the Southern Oregon Coast region.

How do you provide engaging opportunities for visitors to experience your local food and farm experiences? Culinary and agricultural tourism have great potential for improving the economic viability of regions with agricultural roots. Whether it’s visiting a working farm, eating a meal with locally raised ingredients, engaging in a salmon bake, or learning how to cook or cure local foods your way – this style of experiential tourism is booming, particularly in rural areas of the world. Do you or your community have a business that could offer or expand a culinary and agricultural experience? How can we better connect our farms and restaurants to keep value local? This workshop is for people who are interested in our local food system and offer experiences like farm visits, instruction on local fishing or harvesting, farm stands, tasting rooms, restaurants or experiential agricultural tours.

Let’s design a world-class experience around our unique food system – register today!