Oregon Coast Visitors Association

What an incredible two days! The 2024 People’s Coast Summit is a wrap, and we couldn't be more excited about the energy and insights shared in Florence last week. With over 100 Oregon tourism partners, we explored everything from AI’s role in tourism marketing to crisis communication strategies, local art, and making tourism more accessible. One of our favorite highlights? Connecting with new and old friends at a classic Oregon Coast beach bonfire! 🔥 Attendees, what was your biggest takeaway? Comment below with what inspired you, and don’t forget to tag someone who sparked a fresh perspective on tourism! Let’s keep the conversation going. #PeoplesCoastSummit2024 #OregonTourism #ThePeoplesCoast

Help us Update the Oregon Coast Public Art Trail! The Oregon Coast Public Art Trail celebrates the murals, sculptures, mosaics found up and down the coast, on display for all to see. We celebrate these creations made for the greater good, placed on public display, free and accessible to all year-round, day and night. After all, the Oregon Coast is The People’s Coast, with our legacy and our claim to fame our free, open and accessible public beaches. The Oregon Coast Public Art Trail inventory and map help us all celebrate art that holds this same spirit—beauty by the people, for the people. We need your help to keep the trail up to date! If you know of new public art in your community, or just aren't sure if a favorite piece is included in the trail, use our form to let us know! We rely on our partners to help us keep track of the public art that adorns all 363 miles of the Oregon Coast. Add your submissions here! https://lnkd.in/gXJTz_Ew

🌿 Indigenous Peoples' Day 🌿 Today, and every day, we honor and celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples. This land, these waters, and the creatures who call them home have been cared for by Native peoples for millennia. Their knowledge and stewardship are essential to the future of our shared environment. In this photo, Peter Hatch stands proudly in front of a powerful reminder: "You Are On Native Land." Peter, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and a valued member of our Elakha Alliance board, reminds us of the deep connection between Indigenous peoples and the ecosystems we strive to protect and restore. As we work to bring sea otters back to Oregon's coast, we recognize that true conservation includes honoring Indigenous sovereignty, wisdom, and collaboration. We are grateful to work alongside Indigenous communities in these efforts. Let us continue to learn from and uplift Indigenous voices as we protect the biodiversity of this remarkable place. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #ElakhaAlliance #SeaOtterRestoration #NativeLand #HonorNativeStewardship

We were thrilled to participate in the Florence Public Art Walking Tour & Gallery Visit following the Oregon Coast Visitors Association's People's Coast Summit! A huge thank you to our tour guide, Chantelle Meyer, for leading us through the city's newest public art installations and explaining how the City of Florence, Oregon is leveraging art to support economic development. This experience tied in beautifully with the "Leveraging Arts and Culture for Community and Economic Growth" session presented by Harlen Springer which demonstrated that the arts have a $7.3 million economic impact in the Florence region. The earlier session featured insights from Liora Sponko of the Oregon Arts Commission, and explored how arts and culture drive coastal economies. Read Florence’s AEP6 full report on FLORENCE REGIONAL ARTS ALLIANCE’s website. https://lnkd.in/dPuB-ddH #FlorenceOR #PublicArt #EconomicGrowth #AEP6 #ArtsAndCulture #CommunityTransformation #OVCASummit #SupportLocalArts #peoplescoast

It's always a delight to be a part of The People's Coast Summit! Like every other year I've attended, the networking, learning, and fun I had was off the charts. If you're ever seeking an experience that fosters multi-sector collaboration on the Oregon Coast, go to a People's Coast Summit! This year, I got ferklempt a few times on all the shout-outs and appreciation given to my small but mighty Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County team. I'm grateful to be reminded how connected we are to so many brag-worthy, regional, multi-sector efforts. A giant thank you to the exemplary and inspiring Oregon Coast Visitors Association team and all the sponsors, speakers, and attendees who contributed to the Summit's success! If you attended, sponsored, spoke, or otherwise contributed to the 2024 People's Coast Summit, please comment below to be recognized!

Paul, Sarah, and Leslie are having a grand time in Florence at the 2024 People’s Coast Summit with Oregon Coast Visitors Association. 📸 Dreaming and scheming with some of our favorite partners. Lisa Norton (CTSI), Sarah (EDALC), Leslie (EDALC), Paul (EDALC), and Mayor Rod Cross (City of Toledo, OR) 📸 Paul exercising his superpower as facilitator of the keynote panel Tourism in Focus: Understanding the Dynamics of Tourism and Navigating the Complexities of the Oregon Coast 📸 We were so excited to see Maggie Michaels, Program Director (Oregon SeaFare) receive a check from Len Tumbarello, Maritime Program Coordinator (@Northwest Oregon Works) for another year of the high school seafood butchery program #LincolnCountyOregon #EconomicDevelopment

Yesterday was my first experience at the Oregon Coast Visitors Association's People's Coast Summit in Florence, OR! Huge thanks to Finn Johnson for giving me the opportunity to share my Oregon Applied Sustainability Experience: Internship Program and discuss future partnerships to enhance sustainability in the hospitality industry. I'm excited to see what is to come as environmental technical assistance becomes available to coastal communities.

I just completed my fourth People’s Coast Summit, hosted by the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, and my heart is full. It was good to reconnect with so many coastal and tourism colleagues and dig into topics from public art to crisis communications, gravel biking to Google business tools, Indigenous perspectives on tourism to short-form video strategy. I’m especially thankful for all the folks working to make The People’s Coast truly welcoming and accessible to all. Huge thanks to Amalia Greene, LCSW of Out in L.C. and Scott Justus of Xanadu Astoria for their workshop on inclusive hospitality for LGBTQ+ travelers. I so appreciate their leadership and vision of supporting Queer locals and visitors on the Oregon Coast. And ongoing gratitude to partners like Explore Lincoln City, Lincoln City Parks & Recreation Department, Travel Lane County, and David's Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems for making the Oregon Coast more and more welcoming to travelers with disabilities. Our coastal tourism family is rich in thoughtful, collaborative people and organizations working together to make the world better, and I’m lucky to have spent the last few days with so many of them.

Last change to take the survey before it closes on October 10! Make sure you get a chance to make your voice heard for the future of Oregon Coast tourism.

We recently shared an exciting update about the Oregon Coast Trail – a through-hiking trail system that runs the entire length of Oregon’s 363-mile coastline. Now, as the summer season comes to a close, we’re excited to share the latest news trail updates! Here are the highlights:   ☀️ This summer trail saw a lot of hiking activity – at least 53 people completed the trail! ☀️ We provided finishers with  “I completed the Oregon Coast Trail” certificates, badges and hats, so that trail finishers could have something to commemorate their accomplishments. ☀️ South Coast Tours (SCT) is expanding its shuttle service, which is a huge help to hikers as they come across gaps in the trail. ☀️ Our coastal partners are hard at work on regional projects that will be part of the long term solution to address gaps int he trail. Read the full story here! https://lnkd.in/gEc6pCSJ