TRAVEL OREGON & OREGON WILDFIRE IMPACTS – 2017 & 2018 July 2019

PRIMARYOBJECTIVES

• Introduce Travel Oregon

• 2017 wildfire economic impact study results

• 2018 visitor perception study results

• Travel Oregon’s wildfire response: before, during, after

• Semi-independent state agency

• Communication with agencies, visitors and industry partners

• Conduct research to measure impact on industry

• Work with tourism industry leaders to drive visitors to areas impacted by wildfire

TRAVEL OREGON

Chetco Bar

High CascadesComplexNena

Springs

Cinder Butte

EagleCreek

Umpqua NorthMiller

Horse Creek/Nash/Jones

MilliHorsePrairie

RhoadesCanyon Whitewater

Naylox0

50

100

150

200

250

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Bu

rned

Acr

es (

Tho

usa

nd

s)

Days

SELECTED WILDFIRES IN OREGON2017

Source: Northwest Interagency Coordination Center

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Rec

ord

ings

of

USG

+ co

nd

itio

ns

AIR QUALITY READINGS OF USG* OR GREATER STATEWIDE, 2000—2017

*Unhealthy for Sensitive GroupsSource: Environmental Protection Agency

DAMAGING FIRERESPONDENT PERCEPTION

9.4%

4.1%

4.1%

6.2%

8.8%

11.5%

12.7%

13.0%

15.0%

18.6%

18.9%

19.8%

20.4%

31.6%

46.3%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Other fire(s)

Not sure which fire(s)

Cinder Butte

Rhoades Canyon

Naylox

Nena Springs

Horse Prairie

Whitewater

High Cascades Complex

Miller Complex

Umpqua North Complex

Horse Creek/Jones/Nash Complex

Milli

Chetco Bar

Eagle Creek

Percent of Respondents

Which 2017 Oregon wildfires had an impact on your business or organization's operations/performance?

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

REVENUE LOSS DUE TO FIREPERCEIVED CAUSE

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Other

Don't know, no apparent reason

problems obtaining supplies necessary to operate

Road closure or other problems with staff access to your location

Fire damage reduced attractiveness of the area

You needed to cancel an event or activity

Evacuation of the area, fire danger at or near your location

Road closure or other problems with customer access to your location

Perceptions of your customers regarding discomfort or danger

Smoke in your area that kept you, your staff and/or custmers away

Percent of RespondentsSource: Dean Runyan Associates

Crook

Wheeler

CurryJackson

Josephine

Douglas

Lane

Washington

Tillamook

Marion

Yamhill

Columbia

Clackamas

Multnomah

Hood

River

Wasco

Gilliam

Morrow

Sherman

Umatilla

Union

Wallowa

Baker

Malheur

Klamath

Lake

Harney

Jefferson

Deschutes

Benton

Coos

Grant

Lincoln

Linn

Polk

N/A

Undetermined

loss up to $1M

loss between $1M and $5M

loss over $5M

(-$0.22M)

(-$0.24M)

(-$0.16M)

(-$0.17M)

(-$0.05M)

(-$0.80M)

(-$0.08M)

(-$0.02M)

(-$0.03M)(-$2.26M)

(-$2.59M)

(-$11.93M)

(-$4.01M)

(-$0.12M)

(-$2.66M)

(-$2.83M)

(-$0.68M)

(-$4.13M)

(-$1.15M)

(-$15.86M)

(-$0.01M)

(-$1.00M)

WILDFIRE RELATED VISITOR SPENDING LOSS2017 BY COUNTY, TOTAL = $51.1 MILLION

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

OREGON WILDFIRE TRAVEL IMPACT, 2017$51.1 MILLION

$4.0

$6.0

$5.3

$4.7

$3.9

$13.9

$13.5

$0 $2 $4 $6 $8 $10 $12 $14 $16

Visitor Air Transportation

Retail Sales

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

Local Transportation & Gas

Food Stores

Food Service

Accommodations

Spending Lost (Millions)

Destination Spending Loss by Industry(Millions)

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

IMPACTSBY FIRE

$16.9

$5.4

$5.3

$3.7

$3.5

$3.4

$3.3

$2.0

$1.9

$1.5

$0.8

$0.6

$0.4

$2.5

$0 $2 $4 $6 $8 $10 $12 $14 $16 $18

Eagle Creek Fire

Milli Fire

Chetco Bar Fire

Whitewater Fire

Nena Springs Fire

Umpqua North Complex

Jones/Nash/Horse Creek Complex

High Cascades Complex

Miller Complex

Horse Prairie Fire

Rhoades Canyon Fire

Naylox Fire

Cinder Butte Fire

Unspecified

Spending Lost (Millions) Source: Dean Runyan Associates

2017 ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACTS

• Employment & Economy

• Transportation

• Events:

- Oregon Shakespeare Festival

- Sisters Folk Festival

- Cycle Oregon

• Outdoor Recreation:

- Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

- Columbia Gorge Trails

- North Umpqua River Trail System

2017 STUDY FINDINGS

Negative

Destination

Image

High perceived risk

associated with

wildfires

Declined

Intention to Visit

& word of mouth

Understanding the impact(s) of wildfires on travelers

during the event and the potential long-term impacts.

Fielded online surveys: 2/21/2019 – 3/7/2019

Longwoods International’s panel

2,846 responses :

• 65% Oregon past visitors (2017-2019)

• 35% Oregon non-visitors

2018 STUDYOBJECTIVES & METHODOLOGY

AWARENESS OF WILDFIRESIN-STATE VS. OUT-OF-STATE RESPONDENTS

96%

48%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

In-State (Oregon)

Out-of-State

Percent aware of wildfires

KNOWLEDGE OF WILDFIRESVISITORS VS. NON-VISITORS

92.0%

8.0%

38.0%

62.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Aware Unaware Aware Unaware

Past Visitors Non-visitors

KNOWLEDGE OF WILDFIRES:SOURCES OF INFORMATION

60%

38%

24%

21%

8%

81%

10%

16%

15%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Media/news outlets

Experienced wildfires in person

Social media

Friend/acquaintance

Travel website

Non-Visitors Oregon Past Visitors

WILDFIRES IMPACTON VACATIONS BY REGION

Coast Region

Portland Region

Willamette Valley

Central Region

Southern Region

Eastern Region

Mt. Hood Columbia River Gorge Region

SHARE OF TRIPS % OF IMPACTED TRIPS

30%

29%

15%

9%

8%

5%

5%

21%

19%

17%

36%

29%

24%

25%

WILDFIRE IMPACTS ON TRIP PLANNING AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Visited but experience hampered by smoke

Changed trip to a non-impacted area of Oregon

Postponed travel

Shortened stay

Cancelled travel

% OF IMPACTED VISITORS

60%

28%

17%

16%

9%

WILDFIRE IMAPCTS

DRIVING FACTORS BEHINDE CHANGES IN TRAVEL PLANNING AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE

80%

48%

43%

34%

30%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Poor air quality and/or smoke

Road closures or problems with access tolocations

Fire damage to attractions

Event cancellation

Evacuations

Percent impacted

PERCEIVED RISK ASSOCIATED WITH WILDFIRES WHEN TRAVELING (%)

30

2125

13 12

34

24 23

128

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Veryconcerned

Somewhatconcerned

Neutral Not concerned Not at allconcerned

Non-Oregon Visitors

How likely are you to travel within or to Oregon? Next two years

5%

9%

84%

30%

14%

30%

16%

9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Extremely Unlikely

Unlikely

Neutral

Likely

Extremely Likely

Oregon Past visitors Non-visitors

Please give your best estimate on when you plan to travel to or within Oregon?

35%

22%

19%

4%

1%

3%

6%

2%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Feb- March 2019

April-June 2019

July-September 2019

October-December 2019

Jan- March 2020

April-June 2020

July-September 2020

October-December 2020

84%

80%

79%

77%

78%

89%

84%

83%

83%

83%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Great place to experience outdoorrecreation activities

Truly unique scenery

A place I'd really enjoy visiting

Good place to relax

Good for an adult vacation

Percent who strongly agree

Impacted by Wildfires Not Impacted by Wildfires

DESTINATION IMAGEIMPACTED BY WILDFIRE

76%

78%

75%

70%

75%

82%

80%

77%

78%

76%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

A place with clean air and good waterquality

Lots of things to see and do

A fun place for a vacation

A safe place to visit

Good for a couples getaway

Percent who strongly agree

Impacted by Wildfires Not Impacted by Wildfires

DESTINATION RATINGSIMPACTED BY WILDFIRE (Cont ’d)

How likely are you to recommend Oregon as a travel destination to others?

53% 18% 17% 4% 7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%5=Very likely 4 3 2 1=Not at all likely

LIKELIHOOD TO RECOMMEND OREGONIMPACTED BY WILDFIRE

89%

92%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Impacted by wildfires

Not impacted by wildfires

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTIONS

Negative

destination

image

High perceived risk

associated with

wildfires

Declined

intention to visit

& negative word

of mouth

THE MEDIATOR EFFECT OF DESTINATION IMAGE

Perceived risk

associated with

wildfires

Future travel

intention & word

of mouth

Destination Image

DESTINATION IMAGE MATTERS

Perceived risk associated with wildfires may not diminish travelers’

desire to visit Oregon if they have a positive image of Oregon as a

destination.

TRAVEL SOUTHERN OREG ON WI LDF I RE PERCEPTI ON STUDY RESULTS

SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS/REGIONSAFFECTED BY WILDFIRESPREVENTION

Wildfire Video• Travel Oregon has put together a PSA wildfire video for Oregon residents and visitors.• https://traveloregon.com/wildfire

Public Agency Wildfire Prevention Messaging• Travel Oregon works with its agency partners, including ODF, ODOT, ODOT, USFS and others, to distribute

targeted messaging to the public around fire prevention.• We are preparing for May Wildfire Awareness Month

Wildfire Toolkit• The safety of our residents and visitors is our first priority and it’s important we’re all providing consistent

messaging regarding wildfires, closures and air quality. This toolkit is developed for Travel Oregon’s industry site:http://industry.traveloregon.com/industry-resources/toolkits/oregon-wildfire-information/

DURING

Travel Oregon Cross-Functional Wildfire Team• Daily wildfire condition updates internally to staff, leadership and welcome centers.• Travel Alerts page provides up-to-date information for visitors in Oregon as well as WA and CA.• www.WestCoastTravelFacts.org – Washington Tourism Alliance & Visit California • Work with Regional Destination Management Organizations to receive timely and on-the-ground

information about how natural disaster is impacting local communities.

RECOVERY

• Natural Disaster Marketing Co-op• Regional Destination Management Organization – 5% annual budget dedicated to

natural disaster response.

SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS/REGIONSAFFECTED BY WILDFIRES

Thank you