March 1, 2010
From Art Galleries to Chicken and Rice, International Tourism Boosts Local Industry
What a destination! Over the past 3 years that I have worked with Travel Portland, I never cease to be amazed by this city’s pride and commitment to the high quality tourist experience for domestic and international visitors. The success of the tourism industry is largely dependent on the success of the city’s transportation systems. Portland is fortunate to have multiple access points from train and bus to light rail, and, of course, the airport.
I could spend this whole post sharing impressive statistics with you — for example, the tourism industry provides more than 28,000 jobs in the Portland metro area, and overnight visitors contribute approximately $265 million annually to the Portland economy — but I think I’ll leave it up to our local business owners to share their perspectives on how international tourism impacts them.
Charles Froelick, owner of Froelick Gallery and president of the Portland Art Dealers Association, talks about how his business is directly supported by international tourism.
When you visit Portland, the food cart experience must be on your “to-eat” list. These local foodie icons have been featured in national and international culinary publications, drawing in business for cart owners such as Nong Poonsukwattana.
The hotel industry provides a great service not only to leisure and business travelers, but also to the local job market. Pedro Melendez is the Director of Engineering at the Doubletree Hotel Portland and came to Portland to build the American dream for his family.
Jeff Miller
President and CEO
Travel Portland
Photo credits: Courtesy of Travel Portland
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