Hood River County Travel Spending Down $38 Million in 2020

March 17, 2022

Dean Runyan Associates (https://www.deanrunyan.com/) released The Economic Impacts of Travel in Oregon (2020p), a study detailing the significance of the travel industry in Oregon and its 36 counties. According to the study, direct travel spending in Oregon fell to $6.5 billion in 2020, a drop of 49.5% from 2019’s $12.8 billion. Here’s a link to the study at Travel Oregon: https://industry.traveloregon.com/resources/research/oregon-travel-impacts-1991-2020-dean-runyan-associates/.
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Direct travel spending in Hood River County fell to $81.4 million in 2020 – a drop of 31.6% from 2019’s $119.0 million, pre-pandemic peak. Overnight visitors represented the largest slice of travel spending, shelling out $61.6 million in 2020 or about $3 out of $4 direct travel dollars. Overnight visitor spending fell by $24.7 million, down from 2019’s $86.3 million.
Accommodations led all commodities purchased in 2020, capturing $28.9 million in Hood River County visitor spending. Accommodation spending fell 20.5% in 2020, a loss of $7.5 million compared with 2019’s $36.4 million peak. Accommodation accounted for about 20% of Hood River County’s $37.6 million travel spending loss.

Food services ranked second, with $19.6 million in 2020 visitor purchases, representing about $1 out of $4 travel dollars. Sales in food services fell by $14.7 million in 2020, a loss of 42.9% compared with 2019’s $34.3 million peak. Food services accounted for 39% of Hood River County’s 2020 travel spending losses.

Overnight visitors to Hood River County logged just over one million person-nights in 2020. Overnight travelers spent about $289 in Hood River County per person, averaging $108 per day over a 2.7 night stay. Traveling parties averaged 2.5 persons, spending $275 per day or $749 for the trip. Hotel, motel and short-term rental (STR) stays generated much higher visitor expenditures than other types of overnight accommodation.
Accommodation and food services dominated Hood River County’s travel generated employment, much like its travel spending. Travel spending supported 940 jobs in 2020, with accommodation and food services representing three out of four jobs. Travel industry employment fell by 230 jobs in 2020, a loss of nearly 20%.