Experts confident C. Oregon tourism on the rise

Central Oregon tourism has returned to pre-recession levels. That’s according to Alana Hughson, president of the Central Oregon Visitors Association, who believes that this year’s tourism boon will continue through at least the rest of the season.

“We’ve had a good 48 months of fairly grim reports, and a fairly grim outlook for travel and tourism,” Hughson said Thursday. ” And I am delighted to be able to stand here today and say with confidence that it appears we’re pulling out of those doldrums.

It has been a very strong year in terms of the region’s tourism economy, which is good for all of Central Oregon.

“Tourism is the single largest industry in Central Oregon, generating over a half a billion dollars annually for the local economy,” Hughson said. “So it’s a very critical component of the vitality of Central Oregon.”

In Bend, businesses that rely heavily on visitors to the region say they have also seen an increase of sales in their stores. Jane Quinn works at Pine Mountain Sports in Bend, and she agrees with Hughson.

“In terms of rentals, to bike sales, to general apparel and clothing sales within the store, everything seems to be on the uptick, which is great for us,” Quinn said.

The region’s economic boon also has been widespread across all types of tourism businesses.

“I would say that we’ve seen growth in all areas of the business. So I think it speaks pretty strongly to the economy getting a little better, and just the general enthusiasm for outdoors in this area,” said Quinn.

For Central Oregon, Hughson says about 60 percent of our visitors are from Oregon and California, but we do have a few events that draw worldwide attention.

“We have certain elements that are attracting international and national visitors. Specifically our golf product, we attract golfers from across the nation,” Hughson said.

“Events like the Sisters Quilt Show are bringing in visitors from and international audience,” she added. “So a part of the development of this region is looking at signature events that will allow us to reach outside of the Pacific Northwest footprint and continue to draw new visitors.”

While Hughson remains optimistic, she describes her agency as being “cautiously optimistic.” She said signs of volatility and transition in the European economy can have an impact on domestic tourism in Central Oregon.