Travel Oregon Awards Funds to Oregon Communities Through its Innovative Travel Philanthropy Program
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Oregon, in partnership with Sustainable Travel International, will donate more than $14,000 to projects throughout Oregon that improve the environment, support local culture and enrich the destination for future visitors through the Oregon Travel Philanthropy Fund (OTPF).
OTPF is the first statewide program of its kind. The goal of the program is to improve experiences for visitors and locals by connecting them to participating businesses that directly improve and enhance Oregon communities.
"We chose to donate to projects that represent some of the best work being done to steward the environment, build community and showcase the food and culture that make Oregon a great destination," said Kristin Dahl, Senior Manager of Destination Development at Travel Oregon.
The fund supports one project from each of Oregon's seven tourism regions. Examples include: the creation of the Mosier Plateau Trail, a sustainable non-motorized trail to be built on Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust land with direct access to the community of Mosier, Ore.; support of the Sustainable Seafood Initiative to encourage visitors and businesses to buy local, sustainable seafood through the expansion of Haystack Rock Awareness Program's educational outreach; and in Portland, the Living Highways Project will plant and maintain over 5,000 trees along I-205, as part of the Greenspace Initiative. Each of the seven projects will receive more than $2,000. For more information on the fund, go to http://www.traveloregonforever.com.
"The Oregon Travel Philanthropy Fund is helping us create a European-type trekking experience that allows people to love the Columbia Gorge without loving it to death," said Kevin Gorman, Executive Director of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge.
Current participants in the OTPF are: The Heathman Hotel (Portland), The Jupiter Hotel (Portland), The Double Diamond Lodge B&B (Oakridge), Geiser Grand Hotel (Baker City), Old Parkdale Inn (Parkdale), WildSpring Guest Habitat (Port Orford), Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals (Cannon Beach), Black Walnut Inn (Dundee), Hotel Lucia (Portland), The Governor Hotel (Portland), Hotel deLuxe (Portland), Surfsand Resort (Cannon Beach), Stephanie Inn (Cannon Beach), Stephanie Inn Dining Room (Cannon Beach), Inn of the Four Winds (Seaside), Wayfarer Restaurant (Cannon Beach), Lumberyard Rotisserie & Grill (Cannon Beach) and Inn at Seaside (Seaside).
For more information, or to participate in the OTPF, contact Harry Dalgaard at [email protected].
Travel Oregon
The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors' experience 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 $8.8 billion tourism industry that employs nearly 92,000 Oregonians.
Sustainable Travel International
Sustainable Travel International's (STI) forward-thinking solutions strengthen the positive impacts of tourism worldwide, with a clear focus on the bottom line. The STI team specializes in connecting constituents across the value chain in order to affect change in the industry. As a result, STI partners with destinations and multi-national corporations to advance their sustainability efforts, and offers small to medium-sized businesses a suite of turnkey sustainability management tools.
Ultimately, STI's programs help tourism businesses safeguard the authenticity of the destinations they serve, helping to protect their natural and cultural heritage, while contributing to local economic development.
www.SustainableTravel.org
SOURCE Travel Oregon
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