Oregon Tourism Commission

In 2003, Oregon faced one of its highest unemployment rates in history.

Eager to create new opportunities for Oregonians, the Oregon Tourism Investment Proposal was created, and with it, Travel Oregon.

The bill made tourism and hospitality a pillar of Oregon’s economy by reinvesting 1% of lodging revenue back into tourism development and marketing. By 2016, Oregon had seen major growth in tourism-related jobs, employee earnings, visitor spending and state and local taxes. This growth set the stage for HB 4146 which was passed in 2016 by Oregon legislation, increasing the state lodging tax to 1.8% effective July 1, 2016, and decreasing to 1.5% in July 2020. In 2019, Oregon’s tourism industry was a $12.8 billion industry that employed more than 117,500 Oregonians.