On Monday, March 11, 2024, the Oregon Tourism Fee (dba Journey Oregon) introduced the recipients of the 2023 Oregon Journey and Tourism Trade Achievement Awards on the 2024 Oregon Governor’s Convention on Tourism on the Salem Conference Heart. Greater than 500 tourism trade professionals gathered for the occasion to share learnings and align to make sure not solely the supply of remarkable customer experiences, however that tourism improves high quality of life for residents, advances fairness, respects the range of ecosystems, cultures and locations of Oregon and strengthens financial resilience for communities across the state. Hosted by Journey Oregon in partnership with Journey Salem and Willamette Valley Guests Affiliation, this yr’s theme, “Stewarding Oregon’s Future,” calls upon attendees to collectively form a sustainable customer financial system.

The Governor’s Award: Oregon Outback Darkish Sky Community

The Governor’s Award represents the end result of our trade’s deep appreciation for the long-time service and accomplishments of a person or people who’ve enhanced the Oregon customer expertise and elevated the journey and tourism trade. Governor Kotek was in attendance to handle the trade and honor the Oregon Outback Darkish Sky Community (ODSN) with the 2023 Governor’s Award for his or her collective work to designate 2.5 million acres of the Oregon Outback because the world’s largest Darkish Sky Sanctuary by DarkSky Worldwide.

A volunteer grassroots initiative comprised of neighborhood members, companies, native governments, ranchers, state and federal businesses, tribes and Oregon Outback night time sky fanatics, the Oregon Outback Darkish Sky Community got here collectively in assist of shared rules leading to mutual neighborhood advantages and the long-term conservation of Oregon’s starry night time heritage. The designation—introduced this week—acknowledges the world’s impressively darkish starry nights together with its pristine surroundings, wealthy geological and cultural heritage, numerous leisure alternatives and abundance of public lands

“Darkish Sky tourism is a significant and sustainable strategy to expertise a vacation spot whereas offering constructive environmental, cultural and financial advantages to native communities,” stated Governor Kotek, who visited the proposed Sanctuary in October, as part of her dedication to go to all 36 counties in Oregon throughout her first yr in workplace. “The dedication of the Oregon Outback Darkish Sky Community to the safety and stewardship of our starry night time skies—and at present’s designation of a portion of the Oregon Outback because the world’s largest Darkish Sky Sanctuary—is actually inspiring.”

Management Award: Rebecca Bond, Albany Guests Affiliation

The Management Award acknowledges people, DMOs or companies that champion the worth of tourism and whose exemplary imaginative and prescient and dedication assist enhance customer experiences in our communities, areas and state, and whose management contributes considerably to the popularity and influence of Oregon’s journey and tourism trade. This yr, Journey Oregon honors Rebecca Bond, the Government Director of Albany Guests Affiliation for her tireless work selling the Metropolis of Albany and guaranteeing its native tourism companies thrive. From the Willamette Valley Meals Path to her work on an internet site that supplied up-to-date data for native lodging properties and eating places through the pandemic, Journey Oregon acknowledges Rebecca’s unimaginable efforts to assist Albany as a premiere Oregon vacation spot.

Partnership Award: Journey Southern Oregon Coast

The Partnership Award acknowledges that artistic partnerships will be an efficient strategy to improve the customer expertise and promote a area or vacation spot. By leveraging conventional and non-traditional partnerships, organizations and companies can maximize finances, capability and ability units to create a rise in efficiencies and a higher-level aligned consequence. In 2023, Journey Southern Oregon Coast (TSOC) did precisely this throughout their year-long promotional marketing campaign aimed toward elevating consciousness for Whiskey Run Trails. By bringing collectively mountain bike influencers, media and passionate riders from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, the marketing campaign was a collaborative effort between tourism, biking and personal enterprise companions who rallied round selling Whiskey Run because the Oregon Coast’s most epic mountain bike (MTB) system.

Variety, Fairness, Accessibility and Inclusion Award: Campfire Resort

The DEAI Award is offered to a enterprise or vacation spot that has demonstrated management in elevating consciousness or facilitating change to construct a extra inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for guests to Oregon. Since opening in 2020, this yr’s award winner, Campfire Resort in Bend, has taken delight (actually) in being a protected and welcoming vacation spot for all. With occasions like Drag Bingo, celebrations of stay music and performances, internet hosting occasions and media throughout Winter PrideFest and far more, guests and locals alike are inspired to come back and rejoice as they’re.

Hospitality Award: Jalét Farrell of Spoke’n Hostel

The Oregon Hospitality Award acknowledges an individual, firm or group that has made important contributions to delivering excellence in hospitality for Oregon’s tourism trade. Journey Oregon is thrilled to honor Jalét Farrell of Spoke’n Hostel in Mitchell, Oregon—a beacon of heat welcome and distinctive hospitality and repair for cyclists and explorers of rural Japanese Oregon. The Spoke’n Hostel extends its embrace to assist large-scale occasions akin to Cycle Oregon whereas sustaining the identical stage of heat and generosity for particular person vacationers. Jalét Farrell’s unwavering dedication to hospitality has not solely elevated the Spoke’n Hostel but in addition positioned Mitchell, a hidden gem in rural Japanese Oregon, prominently on the map of sought-after locations for vacationers in search of real heat and genuine experiences.

Stewardship Award: Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland

The Stewardship Award acknowledges an exercise, occasion, mission or program that makes use of a stewardship strategy to positively influence Oregon’s financial system, cultures and pure atmosphere. Journey Oregon is proud to honor the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland, a nonprofit group charged with stewarding land that belongs to the unique homeland of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce. The group’s small group does spectacular work in sustainable agriculture, agritourism and invasive species administration with a mission “to deepen the connection between the al’áwa nation and all those that care about it” as they “attempt to encourage a method of working collectively as wé·tesne qicxnew̓é·t (caretakers of the earth) to rekindle relationships and welcome individuals house.”

The Gene Landsmann Gemütlichkeit Award: Jeff Kohnstamm

The Gene Landsmann Gemütlichkeit Award honors a person of the Oregon Ski Neighborhood (Trade/Sport) who embodies the spirit and impact of Gemütlichkeit. A German-language phrase used to convey the thought of a state or feeling of heat, friendliness and good cheer. Different qualities encompassed by the time period embody coziness, high quality of life and a way of belonging and well-being.

You could possibly say that Jeff Kohnstamm has snowboarding in his blood. He was raised at Timberline Lodge and has been the overall supervisor and operator since 1992 when he assumed the position from his father. He has served on the boards of quite a few regional and nationwide ski organizations together with as President of the Pacific Northwest Ski Space Affiliation. Jeff ensures the sense of Gemütlichkeit flows freely and plentiful on the mountain, as at all times.

Oregon Tourism Rising Star Awards

The Rising Star Awards are offered to people who’re new to the tourism trade inside the final 5 years through which time they’ve proven exemplary management, dedication and fervour for Oregon’s tourism trade. This yr, Journey Oregon honored seven Rising Stars.

Central Oregon | Brandie & Larry McNamee, Antelope Market

The homeowners of Antelope Market in rural central Oregon, Brandie and Larry McNamee’s imaginative and prescient is to ascertain Antelope’s tourism financial system in an accessible and sustainable method by rehabilitating the Antelope Market, creating tenting and accessible lodging choices, and main an effort to get the small city (inhabitants 38) licensed as a Darkish Sky Neighborhood with DarkSky Worldwide. Tourism has the potential to be transformative for the under-resourced city and neighborhood due to Brandie and Larry’s management, creativity and resourcefulness.

Oregon Coast | Finn Johnson, Oregon Coast Guests Affiliation

Finn Johnson, the North Coast Vacation spot Administration Coordinator with Oregon Coast Guests Affiliation, has simply accomplished his first yr in Oregon’s tourism trade. In that brief time, he helped create and launch a Journey Affect Calculator to measure emissions and counsel methods for vacationers to offset the influence of their journey to the coast. He helped create the North Coast Transit plan to decrease carbon emissions from day trippers and cut back visitors and parking congestion; linked communities like Gold Seaside and Port Orford to main capital for electrical automobile (EV) charging improvement; and co-wrote a $500,000 federal grant for a transportation feasibility report that would present equitable and low carbon transportation choices for guests, coastal residents and workforce.

Japanese Oregon | Catie Boucher, Japanese Oregon Guests Affiliation

In Catie Boucher’s temporary however impactful two years as Particular Tasks Coordinator for Japanese Oregon Guests Affiliation, she has demonstrated outstanding management and dedication to advancing the area’s tourism trade. Catie’s concentrate on cultural heritage, variety, fairness, inclusion and accessibility initiatives set her aside because the Rising Star for Japanese Oregon. Catie has passionately championed accessibility in tourism, working to make sure that Japanese Oregon turns into a welcoming vacation spot for all. Her tenaciousness round upleveling accessibility and studying from different RDMOs and companions who’re doing accessibility work impressed Journey Oregon’s Accessibility Studying Neighborhood convenings.

Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge | Kent Krumpschmidt, Sasquatch Shuttle

Kent Krumpschmidt is a Rising Star due to his ardour for public service and assist of inclusive, protected and knowledgeable customer experiences within the Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge area. A former Multnomah County Sheriff, Kent based Sasquatch Shuttle in 2021 to create an accessible and inclusive car-free system for accessing the outside recreation alternatives alongside the Historic Columbia River Freeway. Kent is an lively member of the CGTA Gorge Automobile Free Motion group and helped create a downloadable information to the Waterfall Hall for wheelchair customers and guests with disabilities.

Portland Area | Shatrine Krake, Enterprise Restoration Heart for Lake Oswego + West Linn

Shatrine Krake resides within the Portland area and serves because the Director of Enterprise Improvement and Assets on the Enterprise Restoration Heart for Lake Oswego + West Linn. Shatrine’s objective is to succeed in, influence and assist all small companies and her perception that we’re “stronger collectively” reveals in the whole lot she does. Shatrine collaborates with Mt. Hood Territory and different tourism companions on might initiatives, together with the Wander Willamette web site, the place she included interactive map filters that permit customers to find women-owned, veteran-owned, minority-owned, LGBTQIA2S+, Latinx, BIPOC and AAPI companies. She additionally arrange two seasonal Wander Willamette packages—a vacation passport and an August eating passport and works tirelessly to safe media for native companies.

Southern Oregon | Megan Pugh, Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce

Megan Pugh, the Government Director of the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, is dedicated to community-building and has been instrumental in remodeling the tourism financial system of the Illinois Valley. A champion for each the Vacation spot Prepared and Downtown packages, Megan has led native initiatives together with Important Road, native signature occasions and significant collaboration with the Oregon Caves & Chateau. She has efficiently fostered collaboration and unity amongst native companies, residents and organizations to work towards frequent targets. Megan’s resourcefulness has been a key driver in implementing modern options for the good thing about the Illinois Valley and particularly Cave Junction by compounding crises together with COVID & closures of Freeway 199 with wildfires. Her potential to leverage restricted assets successfully has not solely enhanced the Chamber’s operations however has additionally created new alternatives for native companies and people.

Willamette Valley | Jessy Fabrizio – Stover, Willamette Valley Guests Affiliation

Jessy joined Willamette Valley Guests Affiliation as a RARE AmeriCorps member in 2021 and has proven exemplary progress and improvement, enthusiasm and dedication to the tourism trade throughout her brief tenure. Jessy has continued to tackle extra challenges and excel at reaching initiatives and transferring issues ahead for WVVA, significantly within the enviornment of worldwide gross sales and vacation spot improvement.

2023 Trade Achievement Awards Artist

The 2023 awards had been designed by native artist Kris Kirkman utilizing salvaged and domestically sourced supplies that join every handcrafted piece with the native atmosphere and neighborhood.