Travel Oregon CEO Signs Agreement with Key Federal Agencies and Western States Tourism Policy Council to Strengthen Tourism in the West

SALEM, Ore., June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Oregon's CEO Todd Davidson joined the Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, along with other key state and federal officials yesterday to formalize an agreement intended to boost local and state tourism economies throughout the West.

"Oregon is blessed with stunning, iconic natural settings," said Davidson. "We believe the best way to explore Oregon is through outdoor recreation, be it biking around Crater Lake, wildflower hiking in the Columbia River Gorge or walking one of the 363 miles of our coast. This agreement highlights the West's outdoor recreation advantages, and will lead to increased economic impact and more meaningful jobs for Oregonians. Last year, tourism generated $9.6 billion in the state's economy and directly supported nearly 94,000 jobs."  

Yesterday's signing of the Memorandum of Understanding solidified an existing framework through which the consortium of 13 western states tourism offices, collectively known as the Western States Tourism Policy Council (WSTPC), and six federal agencies will continue to work together to advance domestic and international tourism on our nation's public lands and to spur economic growth.

Travelers to western states spent $276.5 billion in 2012, generating 2.4 million jobs, $68.7 billion in payroll and $41.3 billion in tax revenues.

Nationally, travel and tourism is a major economic engine, supporting nearly 8 million American jobs – jobs that can't be outsourced at thousands of local and small businesses. The agreement supports President Obama's National Travel and Tourism Strategy, which set an ambitious goal of attracting and welcoming 100 million international visitors annually by the end of year 2021.  

Federal signatories of yesterday's agreement included the Dept. of Agriculture (Forest Service), Dept. of Commerce (International Trade Administration, NOAA), Dept. of the Interior (BIA, BLM, Reclamation, Fish & Wildlife, National Park Service), Dept. of Transportation (Federal Highway Administration), the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

State signatories were Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.  

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 $9.6 billion tourism industry that employs nearly 94,000 Oregonians. www.TravelOregon.com

SOURCE Travel Oregon