The Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA)’s annual Strategic Investment Fund is an annual program supporting Oregon coastal tourism partners.
“The effort is to help the long-term resiliency of tourism on the coast by responding to destination development or management projects in critical moments of need,” Oregon Coast Visitors Association Industry Communications Coordinator Lynnee Jacks said.
The funds are focused on sustainable storytelling on the Oregon coast. According to a 2022 report by Expedia Travel Group, 90 percent of consumers look for sustainable options when traveling.
“We wanted to help those consumers find coastal businesses prioritizing sustainability, and a great way to do that is by developing marketing content,” Jacks said. “With the announcement of OCVA’s 2024 Strategic Investment Fund, we’re wrapping up the year 2023 and introducing you to the exciting work our applicants have taken on this year. “
Organizations all along the coast, businesses and tribes, were invited to apply, and a total of six recipients took on projects with the funding, according to Jacks.
OVERLEAF LODGE AND SPA AND FIRESIDE MOTEL
The family-run Overleaf Lodge and Spa and Fireside Motel in Yachats is a premiere destination on the central Oregon coast. They received funding to create short videos, blogs, and social media posts about their sustainability initiatives, including the electric vehicle charging stations, local environmental restoration efforts through guest donations, and contributions to Cape Perpetua Collaborative.
The collaborative is a partnership dedicated to fostering conservation within the Yachats coastal environment, and View the Future, a Yachats-based nonprofit that’s responsible for stewarding and conserving land and wildlife habitats in the Yachats area.
South Coast Tours, a tour operator in Port Orford, received funding to tell the story of how their sustainable work on the coast generates funds for organizations like the Elakha Alliance and the Oregon Kelp Alliance.
The Elakha Alliance is a nonprofit working to bring back the sea otters to the Oregon coast. The Oregon Kelp Alliance is a nonprofit working to restore Oregon’s Kelp Ecosystems, and South Coast Tours is a founding partner, conducting dive trips for the organization to do habitat surveys, training of new research divers, and urchin culling.
“Funds went towards the creation of photo assets, including paddling, wildlife viewing and diving boat tours, that will help tell the story over a series of social media posts that highlight this work,” Jacks said.
Shifting Tides is an organization run by Alanna Kieffer that offers educational workshops connecting people to nature, to intertidal food systems, and to edible wild foods. In line with work around the sustainability of local food systems, Shifting Tides received funding to create videos and social media promos highlighting the programs.
“The videos highlight the abundance and diversity of life along the Oregon coast and the opportunities for firsthand exploration and education in the field, as well as the specific workshops that are available, like sustainable clamming and mussel foraging,” Jacks said.
WILDSPRING GUEST HABITAT
WildSpring Guest Habitat is a small, eco-friendly resort in Port Orford. Everything they do has been designed to have a minimal impact on the environment.
“All their choices were made with three questions in mind: Will it be beautiful in a natural way? Will it help protect the environment? Will it make guests feel cared for?” Jacks said.
WildSpring Guest Habitat received funding to take photos and videos, and share a blog story highlighting their sustainability initiatives. These include EV charging stations free to guests, development and operations focused on sustainable practices, carbon neutral operations, sustainable building practices, and water and energy-saving practices.
The Itty Bitty Inn in North Bend received funding to tell sustainable stories about the two EV chargers that were installed in 2017, and were the first Tesla Destination Charging Network stations listed in the North Bend/Coos Bay area.
“A series of promotional videos and a long-form documentary will tell the story of North Bend and Coos Bay as a sustainable destination, highlighting integrations of economic and ecological sustainability practices like North Bend’s 2023 Solar & Electric Vehicle Fest,” Jacks said. “This was an incredible opportunity to celebrate sustainable travel and highlight the employment boom underway for electricians, solar installers, and hospitality specialists who are needed in the blossoming EV infrastructure industry.”
Local Ocean, in Newport, is a sustainable seafood restaurant that sources directly from local Oregon fishers.
“They received funding to tell a multimedia story about our local food systems, and to educate about how visitors can make sustainable climate-friendly food choices,” Jacks said.
The final series of videos and photos will cover a range of topics, including growing/harvesting food, food transportation and the carbon savings of eating locally harvested foods, food packaging, processing, and waste.
“These projects are ongoing, and the OCVA officials said they look forward to seeing the impact all their marketing materials make on the future of sustainable tourism on the Oregon coast.” Jacks said.
Oregon Coast Visitors Association
The Oregon Coast Visitors Association is the official regional destination management organization for the entire coast as designated by the Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon). OCVA inspires travel and strengthens collaboration to create and steward a sustainable coastal economy.
