Chamber unveils Discover Forest Grove tourism plan to boost overnight stays

Amanda Yacos, representing the Forest Grove‑Cornelius Chamber of Commerce and Discover Forest Grove, presented a tourism strategy focused on increasing overnight stays and tying together existing attractions (region’s wine destinations, McMenamins Grand Lodge, Pacific University, trails and parks, and local restaurants and arts).

Ms. Yacos described a strategy that moves visitors through a four‑step journey: discover, plan, visit, and stay. The chamber’s role would include managing the tourism website, producing digital marketing and itineraries, coordinating regional partnerships, and tracking KPIs like website traffic, digital impressions, partner engagement, and overnight stays. She said the goal is to convert day visitors into overnight visitors to increase local economic impact.

Councilors encouraged staff to pursue Metro or other grant opportunities in tandem with the chamber’s marketing work, and to coordinate around scheduled university weekends and other peak events to amplify outreach.

Why it matters: Increasing overnight stays can generate lodging taxes, restaurant and retail revenue, and support small businesses downtown without direct city capital expenditures beyond a marketing contract. The chamber emphasized performance metrics to demonstrate return on investment.

Next steps: The chamber will move forward with marketing materials and metrics, and council members suggested coordination with Pacific University and event calendars for targeted promotion.