The Future of Oregon Tourism: What to Expect in 2021

Tourism's Creativity and Resilience

What to expect from lodging, dining and entertainment in 2021

written by Kevin Max

The tourism industry has never seen a year like the past one and, hopefully, never will again.

As the pandemic proliferated, so too did federal guidelines and state regulations. People stayed home and didn’t travel. Concerts and public events immediately vanished from schedules due to health concerns. Restaurants, bars and hotels—the infrastructure of tourism—were greatly diminished in their capacity to serve the public, discouraging even the most intrepid travelers.

Travel industry analyst Jason Guggenheim from Boston Consulting Group sets up summer 2021 to be a pivotal moment for the travel and tourism industry. “It’s a financial make-or-break, yes, but also a psychological one,” Guggenheim told Bloomberg in a December article.

True that in December, the virus was spreading rapidly, as many communities across the country, shockingly, were still in open denial about the reality of the virus, even while their own hospitals were at breaking point with patients.

Even so, there is reason for hope. As I write, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first two vaccines for immediate distribution, putting us on track for a summer that could look more normal than summer 2020.

Local drive markets such as Oregon and Washington will fare better than states that rely on a preponderance of international visitors. Many studies, including insight from Guggenheim, point to a summer in which travelers will find “unique experiences within a smaller radius of their home,” according to Guggenheim.

Further, Agence France-Presse reported that an experimental Covid-era flight from New York City to Rome in December with 100 passengers tested negative on both ends of the flights, raising hopes that restrictions on international travel could soon ease. Even so, long-haul flights may recover slowly, as older travelers weigh the risks.

More importantly, we expect to soon see a federal response to Covid management based on science, compassion and reducing viral infection rates so that schools and businesses can resume full-scale operations.

If 2020 were to open a fortune cookie in December, it might say: Creativity and resilience will soon be your greatest reward. Here’s a glimpse of what to expect from Oregon’s top tourism institutions as you plan travel for summer 2021.

Lodging is Innovating to Provide Safe Stays

One of the hardest hit sectors of the industry is lodging. Over the course of the year, hotel occupancy rates in the United States hit bottom in March at 22 percent before climbing and leveling off near 50 percent for August through October and falling precipitously in November to 36.2 percent. In Oregon, hotel occupancy fell 36 percent to 40.5 percent. Revenue per available room plunged 47 percent to $34.94.

Hoteliers didn’t take this lying down, however, they worked with health and infectious disease organizations to craft stronger safety protocols based on best practices. Out of this came the Stay Safe guidelines from the American Hotels & Lodging Association.

In Portland, Jupiter NEXT hotel and others faced double jeopardy of Covid and ongoing civil rights protests that discouraged all but the most determined visitors. “Overall, Covid continues to hit Portland’s tourism scene particularly hard,” said Nick Pearson, Jupiter Hotel general manager. “In the absence of a reliable treatment or vaccine, I do not see our current position changing as we enter 2021—realistically the first half of 2021.”

“Unlike other major cosmopolitan markets that pride themselves on the exclusivity of their attractions, Portland has always been a city that welcomes people into our scenes,” he noted. “And with where Covid currently stands, and will likely be standing well into 2021, that welcoming spirit has been nearly impossible to safely execute.”

Over the summer, Jupiter NEXT got creative and offered free space in its large ballroom to local barbers, massage therapists and tattoo artists who needed safe in-person spaces to operate their businesses. They also rolled out rates for people who were sick of working from home and just needed a change of scenery.

“As for the Jupiter NEXT, we are holding steady and patiently waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel to start getting closer,” said Pearson. “We continue to focus on local travel, quick getaways and connecting people to the other small, independent businesses in our neighborhood.”

Jupiter NEXT offered its large ballroom to solopreneurs who needed safe spaces for their services.

Chris Dibble Photography

At Ashland Springs Hotel in Ashland, director of sales and marketing Karolina Lavagnino has found that the only constant over the past year has been change. “I will start by saying that we really do not know what 2021 holds as everything has been so fluid this year, and we had to adjust our operations multiple times,” she said.

Guests at Ashland Springs Hotel will see plexiglass at the front desk and limited breakfast offerings served by staff instead of its grand buffet. Guests are required to wear masks in public spaces. Guest rooms have been de-cluttered for increased safety. “The safety of our guests and employees is paramount to us,” Lavagnino said.

Some of the improvements that hotel guests around the state will see this year are enhanced cleaning regimens in guest rooms and public spaces, no housekeeping during multi-day stays unless requested, scheduled times for fitness facilities, social distancing in lobbies and elevators, mandatory masks in public areas and contactless payments and food service.

Hotels made masks mandatory in public areas.

Most people visiting Oregon and traveling within Oregon are here for the outdoors and will spend a great deal of time in fresh air outside of the hotel property, but must remember to don a mask when returning. As a consumer, you have choices. Lodging properties with outdoor access to guest rooms allow guests to avoid interior hallways and elevators. Instead of taking elevators with strangers, you can take the stairs and give yourself a fitness boost.

As fresh air is important, seek accommodations with windows that open. Short of that, seek hotels that have upgraded their HVAC filtration systems to hospital-grade HEPA status. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters reportedly are 99 percent effective in capturing tiny virus particles, including those of Covid-19. You can also bring along your own if you have one at home.

Though you may not require a lot of housekeeping during your stay, it is important to leave a tip for those who are on the front lines of Covid safety. A widely circulated figure for housekeeping tips is $2 to $5 per guest per day, but, in these times, aim for the higher end of that range.

EPA GUIDELINES FOR PORTABLE AIR SCRUBBERS

Choose a portable air cleaner that is intended for the room size in which it will be used and be sure it meets at least one of the following criteria:

• It is designated as High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA).

• It is CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rated).

• The manufacturer states that the device will remove most particles in the size range less than 1 um. (An um is a micrometer, which equals 0.0001 centimeter.)

There are many arguments for and against polar ionization systems that use charged negative ions to bond with the positive ion of viruses to deactivate them. Notably, the Environmental Protection Agency cautions against using ionization air purifiers as they create ozone that, in occupied spaces, can irritate the airways and create the same symptoms as Covid. For the moment, I’ll trust the guidance of the EPA, though it’s a huge leap of faith for me. (The current director of this agency was a coal lobbyist whose job was to fight the EPA on behalf of his client, which was repeatedly fined for polluting rivers and cited by federal regulators for silencing more than 3,500 whistleblowers.)

Oregon's Restaurants Meet Restrictions with Creativity

Willamette Valley Vineyards set up igloo-like, heated pods for small wine-tasting groups.

Andrea Johnson

Restaurants, bars and breweries were also deeply affected by the loss of business due to the pandemic. Revenue at Oregon restaurants fell 30 percent in October, according to the latest survey from Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. The outlook may not brighten until well into the new year. Nearly 40 percent of restaurateurs said they would likely have to shut down within six months without additional help from the federal government.

Long perfecting the art of ambiance and service for guests, restaurateurs had to quickly pivot to technology, apps, outdoor spaces and menus designed for curbside pickup. For most restaurants, this cultural shift was never going to be sustainable long term. The ongoing see-saw of state regulations, the reduced dining capacity due to social distancing and weaker demand from a wary public all wreaked havoc on the fundamentals of the industry.

Scrappiness rules the day when it comes to restaurant survival. When dine-in status is possible, restaurants have made a fine point of moving toward a contactless experience. Payments can be made by contactless transactions. Menus have gone digital, too, as in the case of restaurants such as Broder Øst in Hood River, where guests simply scan a QR code to pull up a menu on their smartphones.

Ava Gene’s in Portland, known for its slow-food, highly experiential Italian cuisine was quick and creative in responding to the challenge of the pandemic. The restaurant added a takeout deli and grocery, named it Division Street Grocers and began acting more like an Italian market. The new venue allows Ava Gene aficionados to order sauces, meats, vinegars, pre-made pizzas, and family or individual meals such as its Bolognese for pickup or delivery.

For its part, Larks, Ashland Springs Hotel’s adjacent farm-to-table restaurant, added new services such as room service at the hotel, to-go and local delivery. During summer, Larks took over the hotel’s outdoor English Garden for reservation-only dining three nights per week. Look for this idyllic spot to be a part of Larks’ 2021 ongoing dining strategy as well.

Notably, igloos, bubbles and other new outdoor dining paradigms emerged from pandemic restrictions. Willamette Valley Vineyards sprouted a campus of igloo-like, heated pods for small wine-tasting groups and thoroughly vented and cleaned the pods between uses. CampingYurts.com in Bend has reportedly seen a surge in demand from restaurants hoping to offer more ventilated outdoor dining options for guests in winter.

Events, Concerts and Museums Plot a Path Forward in 2021

One segment of travel and tourism with the greatest obstacles to overcome is the one that thrives on mass audiences, often indoors and always shoulder to shoulder. Managers of concerts and live stage events such as the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland are crossing their fingers and looking for signs that will allow guests to safely congregate this year.

As Covid began to spread through the country in March, Oregon Shakespeare Festival closed, laying off more than 500 people and charging the remaining sixty with figuring out how to support their colleagues and transform programming into something that could withstand Covid in the near term. In September, the Almeda Fire blew up and torched more than 3,000 acres, including the homes of twenty-four OSF employees, according to CJ Martinez, OSF director of communications, whose own truck was incinerated.

OSF built the O! platform, essentially its own streaming app for digital performances including world premieres, industry conversations, behind-thescenes footage and immersive classes.

“We’re going to have to be a thought leader and how live theater will be done in the era of the pandemic,” said Martinez. “We are looking at many models right now. We have the opportunity to start the season at any point, maybe starting with the outdoor theater in spring and leaning toward the second half of 2021 for indoor theater when our audience, staff and actors are vaccinated.”

Unlike OSF, the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene doesn’t have a dedicated outdoor stage at the Hult Center for Performing Arts. Further, audiences for live orchestras tend to be from an older demographic, which may be more susceptible to Covid.

“OBF leadership has been in contact with similar arts organizations around the world, industry colleagues, and health experts as potential Festival scenarios are developed for concerts that utilize smaller forces, protect chorus and solo vocalists, and explore distance requirements for each, individual instrument in an orchestra,” said Josh Gren, interim director of marketing and communications. “These potential scenarios include live events, virtual events and hybrid events.”

Until then, Bach fans can tune into the Festival’s dedicated radio station, KWAX, and buy tickets to live streamed musical events on its website as the festival marks its fiftieth anniversary this summer.

The Britt Fest in Jacksonville said it is in a wait-andsee mode, unable to answer questions about its 2021 season as of December.

Perhaps parents had it the worst. Working from home, teaching kids from home and museums closed to the public made for chaos. Good news from the Oregon Coast Aquarium may lift the cloud. The Aquarium said it anticipates full operations in 2021.

“We realize that it will be very different from the ‘norm’ in the coming year,” said Oregon Coast Aquarium President and CEO Carrie Lewis. “We know that our guests and members are eager to resume traveling to the Aquarium, but will still want to feel that we are taking their safety seriously. We will continue to adhere to the safety precautions that we implemented in 2020.”

Oregon Coast Aquarium anticipates offering full operations in 2021.

Oregon Coast Aquarium

The nearly thirty-year-old family favorite in Newport will be back in 2012 with a slate of new offerings: a new Indo-Pacific exhibit, a new admissions annex, a remodeled entrance, cafe and lobby, a new amphitheater for animal presentations, and within the first quarter of 2021, will break ground on a new, expanded nature play area.

Lewis perhaps sums up this year for many in the tourism-related industry. “There are still so many unknowns as we head into a new year, but I am confident that we will get through this stronger (and more tired) than ever.”