Travel Oregon Awards First 'Adventurecation' Trip

SALEM, Ore., June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Oregon this week awarded its first "Adventurecation" prize—the Ultimate Oregon Golf Road Trip—to Lou Perez of Portland, Ore. Lou's entry beat out more than 9,300 others to earn him the privilege of playing Bandon Dunes' newest Old Macdonald course with three of his friends before it opened to the public June 1.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100611/SF19838)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100611/SF19838)

Travel Oregon will select three more winners to putt, pedal or paddle their way across the state after the Adventurecation contest closes July 18. Anyone can enter to win the opportunity to experience the best of the Oregon outdoors at www.TravelOregon.com/DreamTrips.

Lou started his ultimate golf getaway May 30 with three friends at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club near Portland. The group was custom fitted for drivers and apparel by NIKE Golf before they traveled to the Southern Oregon Coast for a sneak preview of the Old Macdonald course at Bandon Dunes. Then they headed to Central Oregon to play the "Best of Bend," a loop of golf courses including Pronghorn, Brasada Ranch and Tetherow. Read Lou's personal account of his experience, with images and video, on the Travel Oregon blog.

Trips yet to be awarded (and still open for entry) include a Wine Country Cycling Tour, an Outdoor Adrenaline Trek, and a Golf-With-The-Pros Getaway featuring the 2010 Jeld-Wen Tradition Pro-Am. View videos and register for a chance to win any of the Adventurecation trips at www.TravelOregon.com/DreamTrips.

Whether they think of it as the polar opposite of a 'staycation,' or a proven cure for the 'lazycation,' Travel Oregon's "Win an Oregon Adventurecation" contest is being well received by potential Oregon visitors. With more than 29,000 total entrants from every state as of June 9, it is already the largest contest Travel Oregon has ever conducted.

The $1 million integrated consumer marketing campaign anchored by the contest was designed to inspire travel to and within Oregon, and it's showing early success. Advertising response rates to Travel Oregon's 1-800 number and family of websites are up nearly four percent over the previous year (during the campaign period, March - May). Alaska Airlines, featuring the Adventurecation on their website, reported 205 trips booked within the first three weeks as a result of the promotion.

"Travel Oregon's consumer research shows that Oregon's image as an outdoor recreation destination is significantly higher than the U.S. norm," said Kevin Wright, Travel Oregon's Director of Consumer Marketing. "We expect this outdoor-focused campaign to inspire travel and generate tourism revenue to support Oregon's economy in a challenging year."

All four Adventurecation trips include airfare on Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air, ground transportation and lodging. Entries for the Wine Country Cycling Tour, Outdoor Adrenaline Trek and Golf-With-The-Pros Getaway must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PST July 18, 2010. Winners will be randomly selected and notified within a week of the closing dates.

The "Win an Oregon Adventurecation" contest is presented by Travel Oregon, Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and Best of Bend. Additional support is provided by Winding Waters River Expeditions, Oregon Adventures, NIKE Golf and destination marketing organizations across the state.

About 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. By strengthening economic impacts of the state's $7.7 billion tourism industry, the commission aims to improve Oregonians' quality of life. Visit www.TravelOregon.com for details.

SOURCE Travel Oregon