The Hospitality & Tourism Industry in Eastern Oregon

In July 2019, the State of Oregon Employment Department reported that direct travel spending in Umatilla County was $168.3 million in 2018, and for Oregon overall, it was $12.3 billion (Fridley, 2019). The spending was up over 3% from the previous year. The most money was spent on food services (44.8%) followed by accommodations (34.6%) and arts, entertainment, and recreation (36.7); food services and accommodations made up 62% of the travel related employment in the county (Fridley, 2019).

Travel Oregon has divided the state into 7 regions with the eastern region comprising of 11 counties (Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler). That is an incredibly vast area; nevertheless, the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association (EOVA) is responsible for promoting the region to potential visitors. This area is referred to as the Wild West on Travel Oregon’s website because of the Oregon Trail, ghost towns, and fossil beds (Eastern Oregon, 2019). The region includes six mountain ranges starting in the south with Pueblo Mountains near the Nevada border, the Steens Mountains south of Burns, Strawberry Range southeast of John Day, Elkhorn Mountains west of Baker, the Wallowa Mountains east of Baker, and the Blue Mountains east of Pendleton. There are four national forests: Malheur, North Fork John Day Wilderness, Wallowa-Whitman, and Umatilla.

Dean Runyan Report - Regions.JPG
Source: Travel Oregon and Dean Runyan Associates
(Oregon Travel Impacts, Statewide Estimates, 1992-2018p, 2019)

The economic impact of travel within the eastern region is substantial with direct spending bringing in $375.5 million in 2018, and that’s a 19.2% increase since 2006 (Oregon Travel Impacts, Statewide Estimates, 1992-2018p, 2019). Just as within Umatilla County, food services ($103 million) and accommodations ($88 million) were the largest commodities purchase in 2018; however, the greatest change since 2006 was an increase of 50.2% in accommodations (Oregon Travel Impacts, Statewide Estimates, 1992-2018p, 2019).

Visitor Spending by Commodity Purchased from 2006 to 2018
Source: Dean Runyan Associates
(Oregon Travel Impacts, Statewide Estimates, 1992-2018p, 2019)

Regional Tourism

Eastern Oregon is unique and has a very different culture than the western side of the state. EOVA has divided the eastern region into four sub-regions (Eastern Oregon Regional Plan 2017-19, 2019):

John Day River Territory (Grant, Gilliam, Sherman, and Wheeler counties)
Oregon’s Rugged Country (Umatilla and Morrow counties)
Northeast—Hells Canyon Country (Baker, Union, and Wallowa counties)
Southeast (Malheur and Harney counties)

The plan was created based on feedback from stakeholders within the region. Their goals include:

Global marketing: Refreshing the regions brand, raise awareness though all forms of media, and coordinate with Travel Oregon and other collaborators to seek opportunities to network and spread the word.
Destination development: Connecting various stakeholders to share the culture, history, and recreational activities within the region.
Global sales: Developing and marketing packages with different components.
Industry & visitor services: Increasing communication and providing educational and training opportunities (e.g., Gold Star Guest Services).
Staffing and other: Hiring a new director and budget efficiently (Eastern Oregon Regional Plan 2017-19, 2019).

Building Awareness

All methods of communication are used to promote travel and tourism to Eastern Oregon. Most people are familiar with printed travel guides such as those provided by AAA; however, Travel Oregon, EOVA, and Chambers of Commerce produce printed guides aimed to entice visitors.

For example, EOVA’s travel guide includes beautiful photography and a vast assortment of information including food, lodging, history, activities, culture, arts and crafts, tours, calendars, and special events, just to name a few categories. The guide is separated by the sub-regions, with the county information included within those regions. One interesting section is I Like It Here that devotes an entire page to one person within that area.

Source: Eastern Oregon Visitor’s Association

There are so many interesting things in EOVA’s guide that anyone reading it could find something related to his or her interests. The guide is also available online, which makes it convenient for those who prefer electronic resources over print.

Another great resource for travel guides is the Oregon Tour and Travel Alliance (OTTA). OTTA’s website include maps, scenic byways, and links to the regional Chambers of Commerce. Probably the most exciting information for tourists on this website are the travel itineraries. These itineraries are theme-based, and each one includes a map, information about the stops, websites, and contact information for more details.

In Print

Surprisingly enough, magazines are still popular. Pendleton has been mentioned in 1859 Oregon’s Magazine (Pendleton, 2019). The most recent 1859 articles have been about the Underground Tours (Miller, 2018) and the first color images of Round-Up (Kaba, 2017). Sip Northwest (SN) highlighted the Oregon Grain Growers distillery (Wastradowski, 2019), and previously, SN showcased the rye vodka produced by the Stein Distillery in Joseph (Konen, 2015).

Source: 1859 Oregon’s Magazine

The Oregonian newspaper listed Pendleton as the safest city in Oregon in 2019 (Acker, 2019), and Style Street from Portland visited the 2019 Roundup (Nakamara, 2019). The East Oregonian, located in Pendleton, regularly publishes articles about activities and events in Eastern Oregon.

In 2016, Sunset Magazine featured Wallowa County (Your Guide to Oregon’s Wallowa County, 2016). They started with all options for getting to Wallowa County, and they suggested that a 4-wheel drive vehicle was a must for exploring the area.

Source: Sunset Magazine

On the Air

The local radio station KUMA out of Pendleton hosts a weekday talk show called the Coffee Hour (KUMA Coffee Hour Podcasts, 2019). The hosts, Danny Houle and Butch Thurman, invite members of the community to talk about issues and events. The show is broadcast over KUMA’s airways, and archives are saved as podcasts on their website.

In 2019, the TV show Haunted Towns (on the Travel Channel) came to Pendleton and filmed Darkness in the Underworld (season 2, episode 7). There are two brief videos about that episode.

Source: The Travel Channel (Darkness in the Underworld, 2019)

Wie is de Mol (Who is the Mole) is a Dutch TV reality game show. Contestants complete contests to earn money, and at the end of each episode, they vote on who is the mole. In 2016, season 17 of Wie is de Mol was filmed in Oregon (Wie is de Mol, 2017).

Source: Youtube (Wie is de Mol, 2017)

Episodes 4 and 5 of Wie is de Mol were shot in and around Pendleton. After the show was broadcasted on VRT in Belgium, the episodes translated into many languages so they could be posted online with subtitles. That increased the distribution of the videos. The shows have had thousands of views. Based on feedback from local restaurateurs and hoteliers, tourism from Belgium and other European countries has increase due to this show.

Videos

Travel-related companies create videos to draw attention to local history, culture, and events. The promotional videos target different market segments and are representative of the ways organizations are raising awareness about Eastern Oregon.

Source: Eastern Oregon Visitor’s Association (Welcome to Eastern Oregon, 2017)

Source: Pendleton Convention Center (Welcome to Pendleton, 2019)

Source: Travel Pendleton (Pendleton, Oregon is Handmade Every Day, 2016)

Destination Development

One of EOVA’s goals was to develop the region as a destination for travelers. That would mean that people would plan their vacations to experience the culture, history, or activities. Travel Oregon has taken the lead by creating different categories that meet current traveler’s interests; the following resources demonstrate trip ideas, outdoor recreation, and shopping.

Source: Travel Oregon (McClaran, 2014)

Travel Oregon Grande Bike Tour.JPG
Source: Travel Oregon (Travel Oregon, 2019)

Source: Travel Oregon (Schumacher, 2016)

Source: Travel Oregon (Anderson, 2019)

Culture and History

By far, the most popular historical even in eastern Oregon is the Oregon Trail. Travel Oregon provides numerous resources devoted to information about the Oregon Trail. Some major cultural and historical sites in Eastern Oregon include:

National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute near Pendleton
Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site built in the 1880s in John Day
Geiser Grand Hotel opened in 1889 in Baker City
Hotel Prairie built in 1910 in Prairie City
The Jennings built circa 1910 in Joseph

Finally, Travel Oregon pays tribute to the iconic Oregon Trail game developed in the early 1970s (The Oregon Trail, 2019). For fun, see Travel Oregon: The Game!

Source: Travel Oregon (Travel Oregon, 2017)

For More Information

References

Acker, L. (2019). These are the 25 safest places in Oregon. Retrieved from The Oregonian: https://www.oregonlive.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/04/bc599046544504/these-are-the-25-safest-cities-in-oregon.html

Anderson, J. (2019, February 22). Celebrate These Women Makers of Oregon. Retrieved from Travel Pendleton: https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/favorite-trips/celebrate-women-makers-oregon/

Darkness in the Underworld. (2019, October 12). Retrieved from Travel Channel: Haunted Towns: https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/haunted-towns/episodes/darkness-in-the-underworld

Eastern Oregon. (2019, October 5). Retrieved from Travel Oregon: https://traveloregon.com/places-to-go/regions/eastern-oregon/

Eastern Oregon Regional Plan 2017-19. (2019, October 5). Retrieved from Eastern Oregon Visitors Association: http://eova.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/RCTP-2017-2019_eastern-oregon_web.pdf

Fridley, D. (2019, July 9). Umatilla County Travel Spending Rises to $168.3 Million in 2018. Retrieved from State of Oregon Employment Department: https://www.qualityinfo.org/-/umatilla-county-travel-spending-rises-to-168-3-million-in-2018?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.qualityinfo.org%2Feastern-oregon%3Fp_p_id%3D3%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dmaximized%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26_3_groupId%3D0%26_3_keywo

Kaba, M. (2017, August 5). Pendleton Round Up – Kodachrome Slides – 1948. Retrieved from 1859 Oregon's Magazine: https://1859oregonmagazine.com/think-oregon/history/oregon-history-first-color-photographs-of-the-cayuse-umatilla-and-walla-walla-people-at-the-pendleton-round-up-in-1948/

Konen, B. (2015, May 1). Stein Distillery Rye Vodka. Retrieved from Sip Northwest: https://sipnorthwest.com/stein-distillery-rye-vodka/

KUMA Coffee Hour Podcasts. (2019, October 12). Retrieved from My Columbia Basin: http://www.mycolumbiabasin.com/kuma-coffee-hour-podcast/

McClaran, R. (2014, June 12). Eastern Oregon on Two Wheels. Retrieved from Travel Oregon: https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/favorite-trips/eastern-oregon-on-two-wheels/

Miller, S. G. (2018, January 15). The Pendleton Underground reveals Oregon history. Retrieved from 1859 Oregon's Magazine: https://1859oregonmagazine.com/think-oregon/history/pendleton-underground-tunnels/

Nakamara, B. (2019, September 27). Street Style visits Pendleton Round-Up: Levis and leather, fringe and funk fit right in. Retrieved from The Oregonian: https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2019/09/street-style-visits-pendleton-round-up-levis-and-leather-fringe-and-funk-fit-right-in.html

(2019). Oregon Travel Impacts, Statewide Estimates, 1992-2018p. Portland, Oregon: Dean Runyan Associates.

Pendleton. (2019, October 12). Retrieved from 1859 Oregon's Magazine: https://1859oregonmagazine.com/?s=Pendleton

Pendleton, Oregon is Handmade Every Day. (2016, April 21). Retrieved from Travel Pendleton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh33NtLNj6U

Schumacher, M. (2016, November 30). Handmade and Homespun in Pendleton. Retrieved from Travel Oregon: https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/attractions/shopping/handmade-and-homespun-in-pendleton/

The Oregon Trail. (2019, October 12). Retrieved from Classic Reload: https://classicreload.com/oregon-trail.html

Travel Oregon. (2017, October 26). Play Travel Oregon: The Game. Retrieved from Travel Oregon: https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/play-travel-oregon-game/

Travel Oregon. (2019, October 5). Retrieved from Travel Oregon: https://traveloregon.com

Travel Oregon. (2019, April 9). Ride the Oregon Scenic Bikeways. Retrieved from Travel Oregon : https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/bicycling/road-biking/ride-oregon-scenic-bikeways/

Wastradowski, M. (2019, August 15). Oregon Grain Growers Crafts Community Through Distillates. Retrieved from Sip Nothwest: https://sipnorthwest.com/oregon-grain-growers-distillery/

Welcome to Eastern Oregon. (2017, February 22). Retrieved from Eastern Oregon Visitor's Association: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9nqEhphmKM

Welcome to Pendleton. (2019, July 10). Retrieved from Pendleton Convention Center: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRkJ8ecfj2E

Wie is de Mol. (2017, January 15). Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAGrKWuo6Zs&t=12s

Your Guide to Oregon’s Wallowa County. (2016, August 18). Retrieved from Sunset Magazine: https://www.sunset.com/travel/northwest/wallowa-county

Source: Velda Arnaud, Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, Oregon