A new report released by Travel Oregon found record-high tourism spending in 2023 as the state's travel industry makes a post-pandemic come back in employment levels.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A new report released by Travel Oregon found record-high tourism spending in 2023 as the state's travel industry makes a post-pandemic come back in employment levels.
According to the report, Oregon saw "steady and significant" growth in travel industry employment in 2023 along with growth in employee earnings, and visitor spending -- reaching an all-time high of $14 billion, a 0.6% year-over-year increase.
The largest increase in spending came from the food service sector, which brought in $197 million, while local transportation and gasoline saw the largest reduction in spending with decreased prices compared to 2022, the report, conducted by Dean Runyan Associates, said.
Additionally, Oregon's travel and tourism industry created 2,180 new jobs in 2023, bringing total industry employment to 118,500 after the pandemic saw a loss of 25,000 travel and hospitality jobs across the state, Travel Oregon said.
Industry earnings -- the amount of money earned by employees and proprietors in the tourism industry -- also grew to $4.5 billion, increasing by 6.9% from 2022.
“We’re encouraged once again by the strength and resiliency of Oregon’s tourism industry,” said Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson. “Visitor spending reached a record-breaking $14 billion in 2023 and employment saw a full recovery from the pandemic, when thousands of tourism and hospitality jobs were lost seemingly overnight. These milestones underscore the vital role tourism plays in driving Oregon’s economic growth, supporting over 100,000 well-paying jobs across the state, and creating connections between people, communities and cultures.”
The report added that out-of-state visitors accounted for about 59% of visitor spending while Oregonians accounted for approximately 36% of visitor spending in 2023.
Top out-of-state spending includes residents from Washington at $3.2 billion, California at $1.5 billion, and Idaho at $1.2 billion.
Meanwhile, officials said international spending has not recovered from the pandemic. In 2023, international visitors accounted for about 4% of travel spending in Oregon, down from 10% in 2019, Travel Oregon said.
Spending across different regions in Oregon were mostly unchanged from 2022-2023, according to the report.
The Portland area saw the most travel spending in 2023 at $5.4 billion, followed by the Willamette Valley at $2.5 billion, the Oregon coast at $2.4 billion.
