Oregon Tourism Commission Meeting
February 24 | 1:30  – 4:30 p.m.

Watch the meeting recordings:

• Part 1
• Part 2

View the meeting minutes here.

Presentations

• Local Welcome
  • Oregon Coast Visitors Association
  • Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (video)
  • Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (handout)
• Workforce Development Update
• 2025-27 Biennium Revenue Forecast
• 2025-27 Strategic Plan KPI Update

Public Comment

• Alyssa Brownlee Public Comment

In an era of unprecedented change and transformation in travel, the first edition of “Future of Travel” (FOT), the groundbreaking multicultural consumer insights report, is now available. Aimed at reshaping how travel and tourism brands and organizations perceive, understand, and connect with the growing U.S. multicultural traveler segment, the study reveals key insights, including: 86% of multicultural travelers share similar emotional needs, values and drivers; and nearly 80% of diverse travelers ‘always’ or ‘occasionally’ factor in their own identity, culture, or background when looking for trip inspiration.

The study identifies what destinations, travel and hospitality brands and organizations need to understand about these travelers in order to meet their needs and provides recommendations for what they need to do to engage them more effectively and authentically.

The “Future of Travel” represents an ongoing collaboration powered by a collective of diverse, minority-owned research and marketing companies: The Culturist Group, Esra Calvert Destination Consulting, JMI, and Share More Stories. The collective seeks to build belonging into the future of travel narrative, by promoting continued research of multicultural travelers, offering leadership on inclusivity, multicultural connections, and human insights needed to advance the industry.

Join Travel Oregon and the Culturist group as they share key learnings from the report and what it means for Oregon in an upcoming webinar on December 16 from 2 – 3:30 pm.

Register here.

About the Speakers

Danny Guerrero, MBA
Danny Guerrero (he/him/his) is a dynamic marketing executive with a global perspective. With over 20 years of experience, Danny has established himself as a thought leader in multicultural marketing and a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors. As the CEO and Founder of The Culturist Group, Danny pioneered the travel industry’s first multicultural marketing communications practice in the U.S. focused on the underserved needs of multicultural travelers, including Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ travelers. His innovative approach to understanding and meeting the cultural and emotional needs of travelers with intersectional

identities has earned him recognition, including the 2022 David Martin Fellowship from the IGLTA, and the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2021.

Prior to launching The Culturist Group, Danny held leadership positions at prominent marketing agencies and travel companies, including the West Hollywood Travel & Tourism Board, Viceroy Hotel Group, The Travel Corporation, MMGY Global, and Development Counsellors International (DCI). Danny has consistently driven results for high-profile global clients. The teams and strategies Danny has led have generated significant increases in visitation, revenue, and brand awareness for destinations and travel brands worldwide.

Esra Calvert
Esra is the founder of a tourism consultancy at the intersection of data analytics and strategic insights. She collaborates with destinations to find their true North by fostering a wide, frequent, and lean mindset. Formerly the chief data advisor for a successful travel startup and head of research at Virginia’s official tourism and film office, she is passionate about transforming destinations from analog to digital business models, always with sustainability at heart.

An alumna of Harvard University’s Business Analytics Program, she also completed her doctoral work in hospitality tourism management at Virginia Tech. She actively contributes to industry progress as a member of the U.S. Travel Association, a board member of the Travel Industry Executive Women Network, and a past president of the International Board of Travel & Tourism Research Association. She is also a sought-after speaker at industry events. Beyond her professional endeavors, Esra loves to travel and dreams of making her own wine one day. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their adorable maltipoos, Gigi and Margaux.

James Warren
James Warren is a storyteller and a strategist, passionate about the intersections of human and digital, and brands, culture and communities. James is the Founder and CEO of Share More Stories, a human experience research company that combines storytelling and AI to develop unique insights and implications for companies, brands and organizations. James also leads brand strategy for JMI, a marketing and consulting firm uniquely focused on community engagement.

For more than 25 years, James has used his unique blend of marketing, storytelling, strategic planning, organizational development and innovation experiences to help companies form lasting connections with their employees, consumers and communities. Over the last several years, James and his team have led groundbreaking studies focused on the travel experiences of historically excluded and underrepresented consumer groups, helping clients at the state and local level develop more authentic engagement and improve the visitation experience.

A sought-after advisor, facilitator, contributor and convener, James serves on the BridgePark Foundation’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee as Chair; the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s Board of Directors as Chair-Elect, and as a member of its Executive Committee and Mission, Equity and Inclusion Committee; The St. Michael’s Episcopal School’s Board of Trustees; and The Dwight School Foundation’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board. James also serves on the Virginia 250 Commission African American Advisory Council. James studied economics and literature at Princeton University and creative writing at Columbia University, and he’s been a columnist for Richmond magazine on family, community, and lifestyle. Originally from New York City, James and his family now call Richmond, Virginia home.