WOW! What an awesome kickoff to 2020 for OTTA. Our 7th Annual Night Out at Hotel Rose in downtown Portland brought in a record-breaking $5,144 for our education and marketing initiatives. There are far too many contributors to list, but please accept my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who donated, attended and otherwise supported the event.

The Night Out was followed by a fantastic meeting aboard the Portland Spirit featuring an informative presentation from Billie Moser of Travel Portland, followed by a wonderful panel of our seasoned colleagues. 

If you haven't done so, please renew your membership today! Once you claim your business listing on the new website, you can also renew and pay for your membership online.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our Spring Meeting in Ashland on April 5th and 6th. Thank you!

Monday, April 6, 2020 

8:30 am - 2:00 pm 

Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites
2525 Ashland Street - Ashland, OR

 Purchase Tickets 

Member Price: $35
Non-member Price: $55
(Lunch Included)

Join us for our Spring Meeting at Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites in Ashland, Oregon! Be sure to join us for the FAM tour of Ashland on Sunday, April 5th, followed by a 5:00 pm social in the Stardust Lounge at Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites featuring heavy appetizers and a no-host bar.

 

OTTA started in the early 90's as the Group Tour and Travel Task Force (GTTTF).  GTTTF started at the time before Debbie Kennedy took over at the Oregon Tourism Department, which was part of Oregon's Economic and Community Development Department. When they first started to meet, they met every other week at the Crowne Plaza. Thelma Haggenmiller reported that she appreciated the thoughtfulness and knowledge of the people she had been consorting with who had been the tourism industry a lot longer than she had.

 

At the time that Chris Chester started at the Oregon Tourism Commission, GTTF had already become the Oregon Tour and Travel Task Force. She did the clerical support by updating the website membership entries and posted meeting dates and details. She was the "Stephanie" as OTTTF was under the direction of Billie Moser. When Billie left OTC, Joanne Korfhage took her place. After Joanne moved to Germany, Kevin Wright was hired to fill this position. The transition of OTTTF to Oregon Tour and Travel Alliance happened before Kevin was promoted to the VP of Marketing when Karen Viehoever took Kevin's place.  When Karen left Travel Oregon for Travel Portland, Lisa Itel was Travel Oregon's OTTTF leader. The Board of Directors really pulled up their sleeves as they waded through legal paperwork in creating OTTA. As a stand-alone organization, OTTA hired their own manager.  In 2006, OTTA was approved by the Department of the Treasury to becomea 501 (c) 6 non -profit organization.

 

Todd Davidson recalls that GTTTF was primarily focused on motorcoach tours, the newly evolved OTTTF expanded the scope to a broader range of domestic tour operators and their products (packaged, FIT, fly/drive, etc.). In those early days of OTTTF, members went on sales blitzes to Arizona to meet with tour operators focused on the senior market. NTA was the major trade show as well as American Bus Association. In Canada, they attended the Addision Trade Show in different locations. Addision was replaced by the Canada Sales Missions. The first participation at Go West was in 2004. OTTTF operated on the hard work of volunteer members. The budget came from fundraisers and website listings. Starting in those early days with OTTTF, Chris has seen the transformation from a volunteer organization to a moving force in group travel in Oregon. Many of those volunteers laid the framework for OTTA and still devote their time to make this organization great.

 

Thank you to Billie Moser from Travel Portland for her presentation on working with the International Market. Our panel of experts offered wonderful tips on how to follow up on the OTTA leads. The OTTA leads are a wonderful member benefit. We received some great tips and now, happy follow up everyone!

 

We look forward to seeing everyone in Ashland this April. Come prepared to learn how your membership to OTTA can benefit you more.

 

OTTA is launching Member Meetups throughout the state in 2020. Meetups will be open to members and non-members in the area - there will be no cost to attend. These events are designed for members in a region to network and connect with others in the tourism industry.

Are you interested in hosting an OTTA Meetup? Please complete this interest form.