North Coast Destination Management Studio
This studio was designed to engage and empower local leaders to bolster a sustainable regional tourism economy, address critical management issues and consider how to preserve and enhance the area’s natural and cultural assets.
In fall 2018, Travel Oregon, in partnership with the local steering committee, convened community members from Astoria to Pacific City, through the coastal mountain range. The program kicked-off with an overview of the tourism industry, important trends and sustainable tourism best practices to stimulate new thinking about the destination. The program concluded with a training on collaborative visitor communication strategies and the formation of action teams for project implementation in priority areas.ram kicked-off with an overview of the tourism industry, important trends and sustainable tourism best practices to stimulate new thinking about the destination. The program concluded with a training on collaborative visitor communication strategies and the formation of action teams for project implementation in priority areas.
North Coast Destination Management Studio Report
North Coast Destination Management Studio Key Outcomes:
- 102 local tourism stakeholders and residents participated in six multi-day workshops.
- Workshop topics included high-impact destination management strategies, visitor transportation, adventure travel and outdoor recreation, cultural heritage tourism development, visitor communications and destination marketing, and action planning for impact. The core of the program guided participants on how to address issues of congestion, waste management, product development solutions for seasonality, collaborative visitor communication strategies, and complex collaboration through network development. Workshop notes, presentations, outreach materials and other resources can be viewed on the North Coast Destination Management Studio Resource page.
- Participants developed a 15-Year Community Tourism Vision for the North Coast.
- As a result of these workshops, the steering committee formed the North Coast Tourism Network which currently convened by Visit Tillamook Coast. This network meets on an ongoing basis to pursue projects related to five priority impact areas identified for the region during this studio: encouraging stewardship behavior by visitors; improving and diversifying visitor transportation options; raising awareness and understanding of tourism assets, opportunities and values, and enhancing outdoor recreation experiences. Action teams have formed to address critical issues within each impact area.
- The North Coast region will apply for a tourism studio matching grant from Travel Oregon to fund projects that came out of the Studio including a trailhead ambassador program, stewardship messaging and a car-free transportation communications strategy.
For more information about the North Coast Destination Management Studio, contact Nan Devlin at Visit Tillamook Coast.
