In 2008, Travel Oregon convened 12 focus groups in rural communities across the state to learn what kinds of opportunities community leaders see for tourism development in their region. The sessions consisted of a diverse group of 10-20 individuals involved with all aspects of tourism -- from small bike shop owners to County Commissioners to B&B owners to guides and outfitters to small business development professionals. The input gathered at the sessions will now be used to form the design of a training and assistance program for rural communities called The Rural Tourism Studio.
For an overview of the proposed program, download the Rural Tourism Studio Overview document.
Below are notes from each community session:
Pendleton area Workshop, Pendleton
Including the communities of Pendleton, Echo, Heppner, Sherman County, & the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
La Grande/Union County Workshop, La Grande
Including the communities of La Grande, Island City, & Union
Wallowa & Baker County Workshop, Enterprise
Including the communities of Enterprise, Joseph, Wallowa Lake, Baker City
John Day area Workshop, John Day
Including the communities of John Day, Fossil and the National Monument
Selma area Workshop, Selma
Including the communities of Selma, Cave Junction, Jacksonville, Grants Pass, Rogue River and the National Monument
Chiloquin area/Klamath County Workshop, Chiloquin
Including the communities of Chiloquin, Klamath Lake, Malin and the Klamath Tribes
Lake County Workshop, Lakeview
Including the community of Lakeview, Willow Springs Ranch and public land managers
Douglas County Workshop, Roseburg
Including the communities of Roseburg, Shady Cove, Elkton, Myrtle Creek, and Sutherlin
Mt. Hood/Gorge Area Workshop, Hood River
Including the communities of Hood River, The Dalles, Cascade Locks, Parkdale, Odell, and the Villages of Mt. Hood
North Coast Workshop, Tillamook
Including the communities of Rockaway Beach, Manzanita, Tillamook, Garibaldi, Wheeler, and Pacific City
South Coast Workshop, Bandon
Including the communities of Bandon, Coos Bay, and North Bend
Eastern Rural Clackamas County Workshop, Estacada
Including the communities of Estacada, Sandy, Molalla, and Mt. Hood area
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For more information, please contact Kristin Dahl at Kristin@TravelOregon.com or 503.378.2104