Booking Portland

Up to one third of the visitors going to Portland, Oregon, came there through travel agents or tour operators, according to estimates of the Portland Oregon Visitors Association. “So we’re trying to work with them to show them the unique attractions of the area,” said Teresa O’Neill, travel industry sales manager for POVA. The major attraction: “Travelers can come to a major city and in 15 minutes be out hiking in country that looks exactly like it did 200 years ago. We also have a diverse environment. We have rainforests and deserts. We have coastlines and golf courses,” said Ms O’Neill. But Portland, a city of 1.2 million, has other advantages that tour operators and travel agents should know about. She said: “We are a bargain. We are tax free, no sales tax. We have a lot of things to do at less cost. And we can offer such wonderful and great things as the type of shopping you get in Seattle or San Francisco,” she said. Portland and the whole state can be covered in a week-long tour, according to Ms O’Neill. And Portland has another distinction: it is the only city outside of New York that has a Saks Fifth Avenue on Fifth Avenue. The area attracts many drive-in visitors from California and other western states. International visitors have picked up greatly since Lufthansa started non-stop flights last year. Ms O’Neill estimates about half of the foreign visitors are booked here by travel agents or come in groups. –Report by David Wilkening–