Portland, Ore. (May 5, 2025) – The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) by highlighting the transformative power of the tourism industry in Oregon. Across the state, investments in accessibility and inclusion are highlighting the many ways in which Oregon’s $14.3 billion tourism industry is helping build strong and resilient communities. Organized annually by U.S. Travel Association, NTTW, which takes place from May 4-10 this year, is an annual tradition that honors travel’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, inspiring new businesses and elevating the quality of life for Americans every day.
As Oregon’s top traded sector employer, tourism drives opportunity and connection that uplifts communities year-round in every region of the state and supports economic resilience through investments in downtowns, trail systems, entertainment venues, cultural amenities and access to the outdoors. Each year, Travel Oregon invests significantly in tourism promotion and infrastructure improvements that not only create remarkable visitor experiences but also increase livability for Oregonians through Competitive Grants and Regional Cooperative Tourism Programs. These programs have helped create amenities and experiences that Oregonians enjoy daily and have helped remove barriers to access and increase inclusion across the state.
And this year, Travel Oregon is partnering with Wheel the World, an online booking platform for travelers with disabilities that assesses destinations for accessibility, to make Oregon welcoming for all. The agency has reinvested tourism dollars to support Wheel the World assessments in 37 communities across the state in an effort to make Oregon the first to be Destination Verified so visitors with disabilities can travel to Oregon with confidence. This focus on inclusion will benefit the 1 in 6 potential visitors worldwide who live with a disability while also allowing aging residents or those with disabilities to experience Oregon’s incredible outdoor recreation and arts & culture offerings with family and friends in ways that were not available to them before.
“At $14.3 billion, the tourism industry plays an incredibly important role in Oregon’s economy,” said Todd Davidson, CEO Travel Oregon. “And as we know from our recovery post-pandemic, it’s critical this industry remain resilient and adaptable. Tourism connects people, uplifts communities, creates jobs and positively impacts the everyday lives of Oregonians. We see accessibility and inclusion as another way to do this. It’s not only a benefit for visitors and residents, allowing those with disabilities to enjoy all Oregon has to offer, but it’s also an economic opportunity with great potential to reach new and growing visitor populations.”
This economic opportunity extends to every corner of the state. The tiny town of Antelope (population 37), for example, received a $38,500 grant in 2023 from Travel Oregon to start transforming a foreclosed café and RV park into a welcoming hub for visitors and locals alike. Through strategic tourism investments—including the relocation of historic A-frame cabins from the nearby Young Life youth center (formerly the site of the Rajneesh commune in the 1980s)—Antelope is now on track to open an accessible bike camp with lodging, a guest pavilion and stargazing experiences for cyclists traveling the Oregon Outback Trail and Pan-American Highway. The project, led by local rancher and CPA Brandie McNamee, is designed to bolster Antelope’s social connections and create a local tourism economy while pursuing the goal of becoming Dark Sky International’s first certified lodging destination in Oregon.
The latest Economic Impact of Travel Report compiled by Dean Runyan Associates and released by Travel Oregon found that in 2024, Oregon welcomed $14.3 billion in direct travel spending—a growth of 1.1% and a record high. While growth was modest year-over-year, these numbers represent the importance of the tourism industry to Oregon’s economic landscape.
- Tourism in Oregon supported 121,000 jobs, with the Portland region seeing the most growth.
- Industry earnings rose to $4.7 billion, a 3% increase over 2023.
- State tax revenue from tourism grew by 2.7% for a total of $691 million.
Tourism spending in Oregon, paired with community-led funding from Travel Oregon’s Competitive Grants Program and other significant investments in accessibility, highlights a resilient and adaptable tourism sector that continues to fuel the state’s economy and sense of place. Award announcement for the 2025 Competitive Grants Program will be made on June 17, 2025.
For media images, see here.
For the 2024 Economic Impact of Travel Report, see here.
About Travel Oregon
The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, is a semi-independent state agency whose mission is to inspire travel that uplifts Oregon communities. Collaborating with stakeholders to align as stewards of Oregon, we work to optimize economic opportunity, advance equity and respect the ecosystems, cultures and places that make Oregon… Oregon. Travel Oregon aims to improve Oregonians’ quality of life by strengthening the economic impacts of the state’s $14.3 billion tourism industry, which employs more than 121,000 Oregonians.
Travel Oregon has worked with Dean Runyan Associates to estimate the economic significance of the travel industry in Oregon over the last 20 years. The resulting annual report defines the economic impacts of travel to and throughout the state, including each of its seven tourism regions and all 36 counties over the time period of 2003, when Travel Oregon was created as a semi-independent state agency, to 2024. The report covers detailed estimates of travel spending, the employment and earnings generated by this spending, and travel-generated tax receipts.