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THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, MAy 23, 2020
Coronavirus challenges central Oregon tourism
Bend tourism businesses
pivoting to locals
By SUZANNE ROIG
Bend Bulletin
BEND — Cog Wild Bicycle Tours had
been looking to this summer as a period of
expansion for the 14-year-old business.
Then a pandemic hit and turned Lev
Stryker’s business model upside down.
“We went from potentially a big expan-
sion year to just about laying everyone off,”
Stryker said.
Summer is a time when central Ore-
gon shines. The Deschutes River becomes
a superhighway for inner-tube floaters. A
myriad of mountain biking trails echo the
sound of happy bikers. And the lakes fill up
with kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders.
Typically Bend’s hotels and vacation
rentals hover around 80% to 90% occu-
pancy and are booked months in advance.
Restaurants and shops teem with visitors
and residents.
But not this summer. Even if Gov. Kate
Brown allows nonessential travel, hospital-
ity businesses worry that no one will want to
travel until a vaccine is developed.
Visit Bend, a marketing nonprofit for
Bend, has a plan: Tap into local residents
who may have never have taken a mountain
bike ride, never gone into some of central
Oregon’s lava tubes, or never experienced
a guided midnight hike on Mount Bachelor.
The program is being called Never Have I
Ever.
“I hope that we can share Bend’s back-
yard,” said David Nissen, Wanderlust Tours
owner and founder. “Whether you’ve lived
here one or 30 years, and you haven’t gone
underground or paddled a lake in a kayak, I
hope that it’s attractive to locals.
“Similarly, I hope Deschutes County res-
idents go out to dinner and experience our
backyard.”
On Wednesday the city of Bend extended
its emergency order that discourages travel
to the community through the second phase
of reopening, which could be after June 5.
The order discourages vacation travel out-
side Bend and discourages hotel stays.
The effects from COVID-19 stay-at-
home orders could be felt for years to come.
Visit Bend predicts it could take three years
to return to pre-COVID-19 times for Bend.
“On one side you have pent up demand
for travel, which should benefit a destina-
tion like Bend,” said Todd Montgomery,
Oregon State University-Cascades execu-
tive in residence who runs the hospitality
management degree program. “But on the
other side, based on the current unemploy-
ment rate, the average consumer will have
less discretionary income to travel.
“Then, of course, we don’t know how the
virus will react as we try to open back up.
Although the future is unclear, the next three
to four weeks should provide a glimpse into
our pre-vaccine future.”
In 2018, the most current year data are
available, there were 4.5 million visitors to
central Oregon. Tourism generated $1.28
billion in economic impact in central Ore-
gon, according to data provided by the Cen-
tral Oregon Visitors Association.
Going forward, based upon industry pro-
jections, the hospitality business forecasts a
30% decrease in revenue over the next com-
ing months, said Kevney Dugan, Visit Bend
CEO. If the number of positive COVID-19
Ryan Brennecke/Bend Bulletin
Cooper Day jumps over a rock formation while warming up before taking part in a mountain bike skills session through Cog Wild on Wednesday.
THE EFFECTS FROM COVID-19 STAY-AT-HOME
ORDERS COULD BE FELT FOR YEARS TO COME.
VISIT BEND PREDICTS IT COULD TAKE THREE YEARS
TO RETURN TO PRE-COVID-19 TIMES FOR BEND.
cases remain low and area hospitals are not
inundated with patients sick from COVID-
19, the governor will move to Phase 2 of
her reopening plan, which lifts the travel
restrictions.
“I don’t have any indicators that (Never
Have I Ever program) will work as we are in
uncharted waters along with everyone else,”
Dugan said. “I think there is merit in Visit
Bend trying to encourage the local popula-
tion to get out and explore their community,
a step further while we wait for the ability
to get the tourism industry back up and run-
ning in a more traditional sense.”
The tourism industry generates tran-
sient room tax for the city and the county.
In March, with just half the month in lock-
down, collections were down 53.4% for
the county and nearly 60% for the city of
Bend, compared to the same period in 2019,
Dugan said. Bend collected $304,000 in
room tax in March.
Central Oregon Visitors Association and
Visit Bend are not promoting travel until the
ban is lifted by the governor, said Julia The-
issen, Central Oregon Visitors Association
CEO.
“I anticipate Central Oregon will be well-
suited to welcome travelers when the time is
right,” Theissen said. “Visitors will be seek-
ing nature, family vacations and wide-open
spaces to recreate.”
Like Stryker, Nissen is having trou-
ble finding his footing amid the pandemic.
Respecting Brown’s mandates to avoid
unnecessary travel during this first phase
of reopening after more than six weeks of
strict business closures, Nissen wants to be
sensitive and safe.
“To be sure, we all realize that things
are not normal,” Nissen said. “Visit Bend is
being a strong partner and trying to be sen-
sitive to our community as well.”
Data show that the tourism industry rev-
enue will be down as much as 86% for April
to a 35% decrease seven months from now.
In normal circumstances, Diana Spring,
owner of A Stone’s Throw Bungalow
Vacation Rentals, would be booked solid
between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
With the travel ban still in place, Spring has
switched from the short-term to the long-
term rental business.
“It was a fast and hard pivot to monthly,
for sure,” said Spring, who manages 20
rentals in Bend. “We’re dealing with this
day by day, case by case.”
The last thing she wants is for more peo-
ple to get sick should businesses open up
too quickly.
“We’re looking to the governor to pro-
vide safe guidance to reopening,” Spring
said. “If that means we wait longer, that’s
fine. We’ll hope for business and a new
normal.”
The Astorian wants to hear from you,
Students
Nude no more?
Dear Annie: I have been married to my tions? — Seen It All
wonderful wife for 25 years. When we were
Dear Seen It All: Your wife was never
dating, all my friends were jealous because doing this for anyone’s enjoyment but her
she was so movie-star beautiful. What they own. And if you didn’t take issue with the
didn’t know was how incredible her figure nudity when she was 20, then I think it’s
was. We didn’t go swimming much, and shallow of you to take issue with it now.
she always dressed conservatively. I kid- Still, I think your wife needs to be more con-
scientious and careful. Answering
ded her that I was the only one that
the door in the buff could constitute
knew what a grand figure she had.
DEAR
indecent exposure; at the very least, it
We had been married for a couple of
ANNIE
could make someone uncomfortable,
years when a friend of hers told her
violating their boundaries. Encour-
about a nude beach not far away in
age her instead to get back into vis-
Miami. To my surprise, she wanted
iting nudist clubs and retreats, where
to go, and she loved it, especially the
she can be with consenting adults
attention she received. She had been
who share the same interest.
so shy and conservative in her dress-
ing that I don’t think she realized just
Dear Annie: Recently, you
ANNIE LANE
how attractive she was in all ways.
printed a letter that suggested people
Creators
That was about 25 years ago. Soon
start “Round Robin” letter-writing
Syndicate Inc.
after the nude beach, we moved to a
circles while we’re all cooped up at
home with a pool and she insisted we
home. I agree that letter writing can
surround the pool with a six-foot fence. She be a wonderful hobby. When my wife was in
stayed nude at our pool regardless of who fifth grade, the class did a “pen pal” program
visited except if it were our parents or if any- where everybody wrote a letter to a person
one brought their children. Then this carried in a foreign country. She and her pen pal in
over to indoors. She just stopped wearing Australia wrote back and forth, with each
clothes unless she was going out. Our social letter taking about a month to arrive, for the
friends sort of got used to it, as did the mail- whole year. After that, my wife would send
man, FedEx guy and even our favorite pizza a Christmas card and a birthday card every
delivery folks. She would just throw open year to her former pen pal. Sometimes they
the front door and welcome them.
would share life updates.
Never have I thought she has been unfaith-
Three years ago, we planned a trip to
ful; she just enjoys the freedom of nudity. Australia and she told her pen pal about it.
We went to a few nudist clubs around Flor-
She said to come visit them. We stayed
ida before we started having our children.
with them for a week, including a trip to
Annie, she is now in her mid-40s and the Outback. Then we took a train to Mel-
while I still think she is lovely, and I love bourne, where her daughter lived and stayed
her more than ever, her figure has not aged with them for several days. Then we went
well. She hasn’t changed her lifestyle much back to Sydney and flew home — one of our
(she dresses when our kids have friends best vacations ever! — Phil
Dear Phil: What an amazing thing.
over), and I want to suggest that not every-
one enjoys seeing her naked at her age. I just Strangers really are just friends waiting to
don’t have the nerve to tell her. Any sugges- happen.
The Astorian is partnering with the Astoria
Public Library to publish weekly audio stories
of how residents in Clatsop County are
experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Share your story with us. Here’s how:
1. Call 503-325-5590
2. Tell us your first and last name, age, area of
residence, profession and the best way to reach you
3. Then tell us your story in 1-2 minutes on the recording
Your story will be included in a weekly audio digest
published on The Astorian’s website. The Astoria library will
preserve the audio file in a local history archive accessible to
library users.
We want to hear from students. Elementary, middle school,
high school, home school and college students--what do
you have to say about the end of the school year under
COVID-19 restrictions?
The Astorian and Astoria Library may follow up with some
voicemails for news stories and extended interviews.
Questions? E-mail Jonathan Williams
at jwilliams@dailyastorian.com