Tourism Spending in Oregon Experiences Ninth Consecutive Year of Healthy Growth

The $12.3 billion travel and tourism industry fuels jobs and economic activity

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May 09, 2019, 16:07 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., May 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Oregon announced that 2018 was the travel industry's ninth consecutive year of strong growth and economic impact, generating record revenues for the state. Independent findings by Dean Runyan Associates indicate that travel-related spending throughout the state increased by $500 million (up 4.2%) over last year, reaching a record $12.3 billion. The number of Oregonians directly employed in the industry rose to 115,400, a 2.9% increase over the prior year.

"Travel Oregon's vision is a better life for all Oregonians through strong, sustainable local economies," said Todd Davidson, Travel Oregon CEO. "Everything we do at Travel Oregon, from product development to destination marketing to regional investments in tourism and our matching grants program, supports this vision. This report affirms that we are on the right track, so we will continue our work to enhance economic vitality and community livability in every corner of the state."

The report, which provides detailed estimates of statewide, regional and county travel impact, includes the following key findings:

Visitors to Oregon generated $12.3 billion in revenue for the state in 2018. This represents a 4.2% increase in spending compared to the previous year and marked the ninth straight year of growth.
Last year, hotel room revenue throughout the state increased by 4.4%.
Domestic visitor air arrivals to Oregon increased by 5.1% over the previous year.
The travel industry added more than 3,200 new jobs in 2018, a 2.9% increase over the prior year, bringing total statewide travel industry jobs to 115,400.
In 2018, the travel and tourism industry generated $560 million in state and local taxes, an increase of 3.9% over the previous year.
Secondary impacts from the re-spending of travel-generated revenues by businesses and employees were equivalent to 59,960 jobs in 2017, with earnings of $3.1 billion.
The travel industry's gross domestic product was $5.5 billion in 2018.
The travel industry is one of the top three export-oriented industries in 31 of 36 Oregon counties.

The findings reported by Dean Runyan Associates confirm the economic significance of the travel industry in Oregon. Read the full report here, which includes regional and county breakouts. In addition, Watch this video to see why tourism matters in Oregon.

About Travel Oregon
The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors' experiences by providing information, resources and trip planning tools that inspire travel and consistently convey the exceptional quality of Oregon. The commission aims to improve Oregonians' quality of life by strengthening economic impacts of the state's $12.3 billion tourism industry that employs 115,400 Oregonians. Visit Industry.TravelOregon.com to learn more about the industry's positive impacts and go to TravelOregon.com to be inspired.

SOURCE Travel Oregon