Mark your calendar for these upcoming tourism development events:
Jan. 14-17 - Northeastern Oregon Rural Tourism Information Gathering Sessions
Travel Oregon's Tourism Development & Sustainability Manager, Kristin Dahl, will be gathering information from Oregon's rural regions to help understand needs and learn about existing projects and opportunities for tourism development. The Eastern Oregon Visitor's Association has been working with Travel Oregon to identify the first sites for discussions with local DMOs and community representatives. Sessions have been scheduled in Pendleton, La Grande, Enterprise, and John Day. Similar visits are being planned for other rural regions across the state in January and February. For more information, please contact Kristin Dahl at Kristin@TravelOregon.com or 503.378.2104.
Jan. 23 - Oregon Bicycle Tourism Partnership Meeting
The Oregon Bicycle Tourism Partnership will meet Wednesday, January 23 in Portland to refocus strategic direction for 2008, gather input on the upcoming Oregon Bicycle Summit, and share industry updates. Meeting details: 1:30-4:30 p.m., US Bank Room, Central Multnomah County Library, 801 SW 10th, Portland. Click here for a map of the location. To RSVP for the meeting and/or get on the OBTP e-list for information and announcements, e-mail Industry@TravelOregon.com
RELATED: Oregon Scenic Bikeways Hearing: Wednesday January 23 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. also in the US Bank Room at the Multnomah County Library. Oregon State Parks will conduct a hearing to receive public testimony on the new Oregon Administrative Rule re: the program. Additional hearings will be held in other Oregon communities. For more information on the hearings contact Iris Riggs, Bicycle Recreation Coordinator, Oregon State Parks, at iris.riggs@state.or.us or 503.986.0631
Marc -- Thank you for your comments. I agree, the hosteling network is not well developed in the US. I have heard from others that the lack of hostels is in part a factor of the price of land and insurance costs that make meeting a bottom line challenging for the hostel model in the US. I suggest, for cheaper overnighting alternatives, looking to our wonderful network of State Park campgrounds, yurts, cabins and tepees: http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/
I also recommend taking a look at our network of B&Bs through the Oregon B&B Guild: http://www.obbg.org/
I do believe that increasing a network of lower cost alternatives will be helpful in increasing cycling potential.
Thanks again,
Kristin Dahl
Travel Oregon
Thanks for the comments, Kristin! My comments would be:
1) BandB's can be great but they are usually really expensive.
2) I like to do fast riding with minimal baggage so I don't bring tent, sleeping bag and all that, so can't camp.
3) Maybe some towns, like Hood River, could spare a bit of change to help subsidize a hostel - which in turn would bring some benefit back to the town in terms of people staying and spending money in town.
Just my thoughts - Marc
Happened to see Kristin's photo on bikeportland.org and thought I'd share this thought with you...
On vacations from Pdx I love biking around Oregon and staying in diff. cities, but it's too expensive. How about some more youth hostels? There are a few in Eugene but hardly anywhere else I think. I don't mind dropping some money in each town but 50-90$ per night for a bed is too much, and I like to travel light on my bike.
Maybe this could increase bike tourism, at least in warmer weather obviously. I don't eventhink Hood River has a hostel, though I must admit it's very windy there for cycling :) Thanks - Marc Rose