BEAVERTON, Ore. (May 1, 2022) – The Washington County Visitors Association (WCVA) joins the travel and tourism industry this year to observe National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), the annual celebration of the critical role travel will play in driving economic growth and building the path forward through the theme “Future of Travel.”
This year’s theme elevates how the travel industry can restore the workforce, help communities recover, foster sustainability, usher in new innovations and reconnect travelers in the U.S. and around the world.
Celebrated annually the first full week in May, NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 39th annual NTTW (May 1-7) arrives as the industry looks ahead to future growth and success following the challenges of the past two years.
“Our Washington County tourism partners are hopeful and planning for a year that shows strength and recovery over the hardships of the past two years,” said Dave Parulo, president and CEO of the WCVA, the county’s official destination marketing organization. “This National Travel and Tourism Week, we are spotlighting how travel benefits our workforce, supports our local economies, fosters sustainability and innovations, and provides pathway for collaborative partnerships.”
According to a study by Dean Runyan, commissioned by Travel Oregon, In 2020, Washington County welcomed more than 5.6 million overnight visitors. Total in-county visitor spending, including spending by day visitors, topped $462.1 million, the lowest spending level in 10 years.
Washington County’s local tourism industry employed 6,740, a decrease of more than 2,000 jobs, compared to 2019. In 2020, $73,368 was the amount of visitor spending that supported one job. For tourism employees, $100 generated by visitor spending equaled $45 in employee earnings. (Source: “The Economic Impact of Travel,” Dean Runyan Associates (DRA), April 2021)
Data for 2021 will be released in May by Travel Oregon.
The Washington County Visitors Association (WCVA) is the official destination marketing organization for Washington County, Oregon, and promotes the county under the destination brand “Tualatin Valley.” The mission of the organization is to inspire individual and group consumers to visit the Tualatin Valley, making a sustained and measurable economic impact through tourism.
The destination includes 58 hotels with more than 6,085 guest rooms, as well as wineries, breweries, hundreds of restaurants, and exciting main streets. It is home to the Wingspan Event and Conference Center, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Ron Tonkin Field–home of the Hillsboro Hops–and state-of-the-art sports facilities. Washington County is Oregon’s hub for tax-free shopping with retail anchored by Washington Square Mall.
Established in 1983 by a congressional resolution, National Travel and Tourism Week takes place annually throughout the first week of May, serving as a tradition for the U.S. travel community to celebrate the value travel holds for the economy, businesses, and personal well-being. For more information, visit ustravel.org.
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