Fort Rock State Natural Area courtesy of Central Oregon Film Office
Newberry Country
Rural Tourism Studio
The Newberry Country Rural Tourism Studio focused on the Central Oregon communities of La Pine, Sunriver, Three Rivers South, Gilchrist, Crescent, Fort Rock, Silver Lake, Christmas Valley and Chemult.
The Newberry Country Rural Tourism Studio was developed in response to the destination’s desire to harness local tourism assets and develop a shared tourism vision for the region. The communities had existing strengths in outdoor and adventure travel, and the studio helped attendees develop a common vision for the future and operationalize their next steps.
Newberry Country Rural Tourism Studio highlights:
- 62 local tourism stakeholders and residents participated in three workshops in November 2016 in La Pine. Workshop topics included Community Visioning, Adventure Travel and Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Action Planning. Workshop notes, presentations, outreach materials and other resources are available on the Newberry Country Rural Tourism Studio Resources page.
- Participants drafted a 15-Year Community Tourism Vision for the Newberry Country.
- The Newberry Country community received a $10,000 Tourism Studio Matching Grant from Travel Oregon to implement the Newberry Country Trail in 2017.
For more information about the Newberry Country Rural Tourism Studio, contact Ann Gawith, Executive Director of the La Pine Chamber of Commerce.
Rural Tourism Studio
Workshops that help rural communities develop and offer high-value, authentic experiences to travelers—in a sustainable, manageable way.
Travel Oregon offers Rural Tourism Studios to help communities build their appeal as visitor destinations with on-the-ground guidance, training and support tailored to each destination’s unique offerings.