Based on the findings of economic impact studies from 11 states including Oregon, Visit Bend is estimating the $400,000 expansion of Bend’s marketing and advertising campaigns into Seattle and California will generate approximately $53.6 million of additional visitor dollars annually.
During the June 5 Bend City Council meeting, Visit Bend CEO Doug La Placa addressed city council on the projected economic impact of the proposed 2 percent increase to the City’s TRT rate.
According to La Placa, Bend now hosts approximately 2.2 million visitors per year who contribute over half a billion dollars annually to the Central Oregon Economy. La Placa reported that in 2012, over 60 percent of Bend’s summer visitors came from outside the State of Oregon, yet Bend’s funding for tourism promotion is not sufficient to extend Bend’s marketing reach outside the state.
“The BendTAPS proposal will generate approximately $400,000 annually that will be invested into expanding Bend’s tourism marketing campaigns into the markets of Seattle and Northern California, primarily during the struggling winter months. These are two of the most affluent markets of travelers in the United States, yet our current model of tourism funding is not sufficient to cultivate these markets and expose their affluent travelers to the extraordinary Bend lifestyle,” La Placa said.
Based on the findings of economic impact studies from 11 states including Oregon, Visit Bend is estimating the $400,000 expansion of Bend’s marketing and advertising campaigns into Seattle and California will generate approximately $53.6 million of additional visitor dollars annually.
More information on the projected return on investment of the BendTAPS proposal can be found on the FAQ page of www.BendTAPS.com. A public hearing on this subject is scheduled for 7pm on June 19 at Bend City Hall.
