Eastern Oregon Visitors Association outlines regional tourism strategy, seeks steady funding
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Summary
Lina Carullo, executive director of the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association, presented a regional tourism plan for 11 counties, described Travel Oregon funding and a raised funding floor, and asked local leaders to partner on grants, marketing and accessibility initiatives.
Lina Carullo, executive director of the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association (EOVA), told the Harney County Court on Wednesday that the region's tourism strategy is focused on attracting overnight visitors while protecting local character and infrastructure. Carullo, who described EOVA as the regional destination marketing and management organization for 11 counties east of the Cascades, said the group's funding from Travel Oregon recently increased from $400,000 to $500,000 and that the organization is seeking ways to secure a predictable annual floor.
Carullo said EOVA centers marketing on three pillars ' outdoor recreation, cultural and heritage experiences, and farm-to-table culinary offerings ' and is adding advocacy and accessibility work. "We want the visitor experience rooted in our communities and to support local partners," she said, adding that accessibility initiatives inspired by Travel Oregon's Wheel of the World campaign are an emerging priority.
The presentation highlighted regional visitor demographics (average visitor age ~51; repeat visitors dominate), drive markets (Washington and Idaho largest in-region sources, Canada largest inbound market) and a small regional grant program EOVA operates (competitive grants typically in the $1,000—$7,000 range with a 10% cash match requirement). Carullo also described destination-development projects such as outdoor-rec maps and dark-sky promotion; she said dark-sky visitors tend to spend roughly three times more than the typical traveler.
County commissioners pressed Carullo on whether regional funding delivers value to smaller, remote counties, and she described efforts to work with local chambers and cooperative advertising to stretch limited dollars. She also urged local partners to explore receptive tour-operator relationships to increase international visitation and suggested a brand refresh to support cooperative advertising.
The court asked EOVA to share materials and links so commissioners and staff can follow up on grant opportunities and marketing resources. The county approved an unrelated $10,000 contribution to the Harney County Chamber during the same meeting to support visitor services and coordination.
The court did not take a formal funding vote for EOVA; Carullo said she would remain available for follow-up and deeper briefings.