Visit C. Oregon awarded $40K for pilot Bend-Sunriver-Bachelor luxury shuttle
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Visit Central Oregon, in partnership with Oregon-based charter company Northwest Navigator Luxury Coaches, has been awarded a $40,000 match by Travel Oregon’s Destination Ready investment program to run a pilot shuttle service in Sunriver and Bend called “Navigate Oregon.”
Destination Ready applicants were encouraged to apply for “shovel-ready” projects that bolster tourism recovery efforts throughout the state with a focus on mitigating challenged visitor experiences due to COVID-19.
As a pilot program, Navigate Oregon will serve dual purposes. Industry partners will have a high-quality transportation resource to refer destination visitors who are not aware of required parking reservations at Mt. Bachelor, one of many new COVID measures to manage volume at the resort.
Additionally, the Destination Ready callout presented a timely opportunity to gain valuable insight from riders through surveying and other foundational data for the feasibility of future privately subsidized transportation programs in the region.
Previously, Visit Central Oregon has received feedback from international and domestic ski group trip planners that Central Oregon has a difficult time competing with other destinations that offer convenient shuttle transportation.
Navigate Oregon will be available to any passengers who reserve first-come-first-reserved via Northwest Navigator's online reservation system at NAVIGATEOREGON.com.
Competitively priced at $15 each way/$30 round trip, consumers can consider the opportunity of a stress-free experience of being chartered by Navigate Oregon while enjoying its amenities such as free wi-fi, on-board entertainment and restroom.
Passengers will be assured by Northwest Navigator's luxury motorcoaches, optimized for safety from their "Extreme Triple Clean Commitment" upgrades that surpasses state COVID-19 transportation safety guidelines; including daily thorough cleaning and disinfecting an advanced HVAC air system, an antimicrobial surface protectant on all surfaces and daily thorough cleaning and disinfecting of each vehicle.
Ensuring distanced seating on-board, max seating is set at 35 passengers (reduced from 56) – no exception.
Pick-up / drop-off locations in Sunriver includes Sunriver at Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic Recreation Center, aka SHARC and in Bend, pilot lod8ging partner properties Riverhouse on the Deschutes and Best Western Peppertree Inn. First day of service in each area will start Saturday, March 20th; running daily during Oregon Spring Break until Sunday, March 28th.
The routes will loop to and from Bend and Sunriver four times. Following Oregon Spring Break, the service will run on Saturdays and Sundays only from April 3 to Memorial Day weekend in Sunriver, with potential to run longer in Bend, potentially until Labor Day weekend.
Duration of the pilot program past Memorial Day weekend will be continuously assessed while in service and based upon ridership demand.
Reservations are available online now! Visit http://NAVIGATEOREGON.com/ for full details.
Visit Central Oregon, formerly known as the Central Oregon Visitors Association (COVA), has been the non-profit tourism Destination Marketing Association serving Central Oregon since 1971. Visit Central Oregon manages tourism advertising, marketing, promotion, public relations, industry relations, special event management. Visit Central Oregon is the state-designated Regional Destination Management Organization for Travel Oregon’s Regional Cooperative Tourism Program, including Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook and So. Wasco counties. For more information, visit www.VisitCentralOregon.com or call 800-800-8334.
Navigate Oregon is proud to connect Bend and Sunriver with Mt. Bachelor and beyond. We are providing Central Oregon with safe, sanitized, and socially distanced transportation aboard modern, state of the art, luxury motorcoaches. With free parking, ample room to safely store your skis boards and boots, onboard restrooms, and professional drivers, you can sit back and enjoy all the beauty, fun, and adventure that Central Oregon has to offer! See our up to date schedules, where to park, where we're going, and book your tickets online at navigateoregon.com.
