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Tourism in Portland, Oregon

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Often referred to as the "City of Roses," Portland, Oregon attracts visitors due to its vibrant culinary scene, verdant parks, tax-free shopping and its proximity to areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Portland's restaurants have been described as a "critical contributor" to the travel economy.[1] Portland has seen "tagger tourism", described by KOIN as "people traveling from other areas to spray paint illegally".[2]

Attractions

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Lan Su Chinese Garden
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Portland Art Museum
Portland Japanese Garden
Powell's Books

The city boasts a number of attractions, such as the Portland Japanese Garden, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Oregon Zoo, Powell's Books, Lan Su Chinese Garden and the historic Pittock Mansion.

Portland's proximity to the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, Willamette Valley and the Oregon Coast attracts outdoor enthusiasts seeking to engage in activities such as hiking, skiing, mountain biking and wind-surfing.

Some of Portland's districts and neighborhoods have been described as tourist attractions, including East Burnside, North Mississippi Avenue, Northeast Alberta Street, Northwest 23rd Avenue, Pearl District, and Southeast Division Street.[3]

The city's culinary landscape features over 500 food carts,[4] more than 70 breweries,[5] and many farm-to-table dining options, making it a popular destination for foodies. In 2018, Eater Portland published a list of "tourist trap" restaurants in the city "that are actually good"; the list included Voodoo Doughnut, Blue Star Donuts, Clyde Common, Departure Restaurant and Lounge, Lardo, Multnomah Whiskey Library, Pine State Biscuits, Pok Pok, Salt & Straw, and Screen Door.[6]

List

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See also: List of museums in Portland, Oregon; List of sports venues in Portland, Oregon; and List of theatres in Portland, Oregon

Cannabis tourism

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Main article: Cannabis tourism in Portland, Oregon

The legalization of cannabis consumption for recreational purposes in Oregon has allowed Portland to capitalize on cannabis tourism.[21]

Hotel industry

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In 2024, KATU said " 354,140 hotel rooms were sold in August, the highest since 2019 when there were 409,851 rooms sold".[22] According to The Oregoanin, Portland hotels were 70 percent booked during June-August 2024.[23]

Marketing

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Travel Portland has operated a visitors center at Pioneer Courthouse Square (pictured in 2015).

Travel Portland is a destination marketing organization responsible for generating travel demand for Portland.

Visitor statistics and economic impact

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In 2024, KATU said, "In 2022, the city spent 36% more on tourism than it did in 2021, but 8.3% less than it did overall from 2019-2022. As for tourism earnings, the city experienced a booming increase of 25% from 2021 - 2022... but overall earned 2.7% less from 2019-2022. This pattern is reflected in tourism industry jobs as well. Portland hired 32,400 jobs from 2021-2022, a net increase of 19%. However, due to the deficit of tourism jobs in 2020 and 2021, the city overall has experienced a net loss of 12.3% for tourism industry jobs since 2019."[24]

In 2023, Portland area tourism generated $5.4 billion in direct spending[25] from 12.1 million overnight person-trips.[26] That visitor spending is estimated to have supported 34,400 jobs, generating $1.7 billion in employment earnings.[27]

In 2024, Portland saw 2.4 million visitors during each of the months of June, July, and August, according to a foot traffic report published by Downtown Portland Clean & Safe.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Spencer, Malia (May 24, 2024). "Oregon tourism comeback: 'There is no Portland without the culinary scene'". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  2. ^ "Cracking down on Portland's 'tagger tourism'". KOIN.com. 2024-11-19. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  3. ^ Acker, Lizzy (2018-04-17). "35 Portland tourist attractions, ranked from worst to best". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  4. ^ "Food Cart Finder: Search". Travel Portland. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "Why Portland is the world's best beer city". The Daily Telegraph. May 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-08-06). "Nine Tourist Trap Restaurants in Portland That Are Actually Good". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  7. ^ "Hidden Among the Trees of the Hayhurst Neighborhood, the 102-year-old Alpenrose Dairy Is Portland's Original Family Fun Center". Willamette Week. 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Acker, Lizzy (2018-04-17). "35 Portland tourist attractions, ranked from worst to best". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  9. ^ a b c Hale, Jamie (2017-11-19). "The 40 best roadside attractions in Oregon". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  10. ^ a b c d e Mackay, Kate (2018-08-01). "5 best places to visit in August 2019". CNN. Archived from the original on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  11. ^ LaScala, Marisa (2013-11-06). "Tiny Tourism: 10 of the World's Smallest Attractions". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  12. ^ a b c d "10 Must-Visit Museums in Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2024-12-30. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  13. ^ "Pittock Mansion gets creative after coronavirus pandemic closes Portland's historic mansion". The Oregonian. 2020-05-12. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  14. ^ "After Two Years of Instability, Portland Saturday Market Will Reopen On Time in March". Willamette Week. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  15. ^ "Fall in Love With Portland All Over Again". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2024-11-10. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  16. ^ "Nonprofit behind 'Shanghai Tunnels' tour loses access to Portland's underground". kgw.com. 2022-06-14. Archived from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  17. ^ "Murder sites become tourist spots as towns take advantage of horror past". The Independent. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  18. ^ Turnquist, Kristi (2010-01-04). "It's curtains for the Velveteria velvet painting museum". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  19. ^ "Voodoo Doughnut in Portland is the most overrated tourist attraction, study shows". KPTV. 2023-08-23. Archived from the original on 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  20. ^ Acker, Lizzy (2023-08-25). "This Portland spot is one of the biggest tourist traps in the world, totally unscientific review says". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  21. ^ "The complete guide to cannabis tourism in Portland, Oregon". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 2022-06-04. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  22. ^ Park, Victor (2024-10-27). "Report: Portland close to reaching pre-pandemic levels of tourism business". KATU. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  23. ^ Rogoway, Mike (2024-09-22). "Summer was busier for downtown Portland hotels, but winter will test recovery". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-02-08. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  24. ^ "Portland's tourism is rebounding - but locals are still hesitant to recommend a vacation here". KATU. 2023-06-08. Archived from the original on 2023-09-27. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  25. ^ "Portland Travel Research Dashboard". Dean Runyan Associates. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  26. ^ "Market Research & Statistics". Travel Portland. May 15, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  27. ^ "Portland Travel Research Dashboard". Dean Runyan Associates. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Redden, Jim (2024-09-30). "Report: Downtown Portland visits, tourism picking up". PortlandTribune.com. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
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