TILLAMOOK, Oregon — 37 individuals representing communities from Astoria to Neskowin gathered virtually on Thursday, January 28 to continue the work of the North Coast Tourism Management Network.
Following the last convening in November, the network identified six key tourism impacts amplified by visitation trends in 2020: trail congestion, human & pet waste, trash management, public health and safety, parking, and business resiliency. This latest installment of the quarterly meeting series focused on sharing work that action teams and partner organizations have already accomplished in these areas, and collaboration on creative solutions to these challenges.
The meeting brought together network members, partner organizations, and coastal community members interested in sustainable destination management. In addition to the network’s ongoing goals — to improve and diversify visitor transportation options, enhance outdoor recreation experiences, encourage stewardship practices, and champion the value of tourism — key focus areas that emerged from presentations, breakout sessions, and large group discussions included stewardship messaging and trash management.
Participants represented 30 partner organizations and businesses, including Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, Built Oregon Marketplace, Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, City of Manzanita, City of Seaside Visitors Bureau, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Escape Lodging Company, Garibaldi Museum, George Vetter Photography, Heartfelt Hospitality, Lewis & Clark National Historic Park, Lower Nehalem Community Trust, Manzanita Visitors Center, North Coast Land Conservancy, Oregon Coast Visitors Association, Oregon Parks & Recreation Department, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, RARE (Resource Assistance for Rural Environments), Regional Solutions, SOLVE Oregon, Sunset Empire Transportation District, Tillamook County Emergency Management, Tillamook County Parks Department, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, Tillamook People’s Utility District, Travel Oregon, Visit Garibaldi, and Visit Tillamook Coast.
The next quarterly meeting will be held Thursday, April 29 from 2 to 4 p.m. and will focus on solutions to trash and recycling issues in tourism on the North Coast. Details and registration information will be shared with network partners and on the network’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NCTMN. Those interested in conversations around waste management leading up to the next quarterly meeting can contact network manager Karen Olson at northcoastmanager@thepeoplescoast.com.
North Coast Tourism Management Network
The North Coast Tourism Management Network seeks to enhance healthy, collaborative, sustainable relationships between coastal visitors, residents, businesses, and the environment. We champion the value of tourism for our local economies while striving to minimize negative impacts of visitation and help guests become excellent stewards of the coast we call home.
The network was formed in 2019 following the North Coast Destination Management Studio program developed and offered by Travel Oregon. NCTMN is a formalized network funded by grants and contributions from partner organizations and housed within a nonprofit 501(c)(6) sponsor, the Oregon Coast Visitors Association.