Industry Supports Nearly 11,000 Lane County Jobs

Eugene, Ore. - Travel and tourism attracts millions of visitors to Lane County each year and these visitors are enjoying more than the view. With over 40 percent of visitor spending going toward food and beverage purchases, it's clear visitors are enjoying our restaurants, breweries, wineries, distilleries, packaged food stores and more. 

Accommodation spending is on the rise as well. For the seventh consecutive year transient lodging tax receipts will post gains. "Our lodging sector continues to perform well and we anticipate room tax collections will reach a fiscal year record of over $12 million by  the end of June, noted Kari Westlund, president/CEO of Travel Lane County. Westlund added, "We can't thank our lodging partners enough for their leadership in seeing that room taxes are invested in destination marketing efforts in Lane County." 

To review 2017 Lane County data, view the Lane County pages in the Oregon Travel Impacts: 1991 – 2017, Dean Runyan Associates. 

Travel Oregon announced that 2017 was the travel industry’s eighth consecutive year of strong growth and economic impact, generating record revenues for the state. Independent findings by Dean Runyan Associates indicate that travel-related spending throughout the state increased by $500 million last year, reaching a record $11.8 billion, while the number of Oregonians directly employed in the industry rose to 112,200, a 2.2 percent increase over the prior year. Read the full Dean Runyan report at Oregon Travel Impacts: 1991 – 2017, Dean Runyan Associates.

“From destination marketing to regional investments in tourism and matching grant programs, everything we do at Travel Oregon is aimed at improving the lives of all Oregonians,” said Todd Davidson, Travel Oregon CEO. “This report affirms the impact of our mission - to drive economic development, enhance communities and create jobs through tourism in every corner of the state.”

US Travel released visitor spending data for 2017 and the industry continues to contribute mightily to the national economy. "Direct spending by resident and international travelers in the U.S. averaged $2.8 billion a day, $118.2 million an hour, $2 million a minute and $32,800 a second." 1 in 9 American jobs depends on travel and tourism, which ranks 7th in terms of employment compared to other major private industry sectors.  Read more about national travel and tourism data in US Travel Answer Sheet.