Tourism gets new life after rough 2020
By Terry Murry on Monday, January 24th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – During 2020, the Pendleton Convention Center and the Vert Auditorium were shuttered due to restrictions prompted by COVID-19. Manager Pat Beard says 2021 was a different story, with the two venues hosting a total of 268 events, which was an all-time high.
Beard is a strong believer in tourism as one of the key economic strengths for Pendleton. He said it began over 110 years ago with the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon, and it’s what continues to make Pendleton a popular destination.
“We don’t have flat ground like our neighbors to the west do and we don’t have easily-accessed hydroelectric power like our neighbors to the west do,” he said. “What we do have are events, restaurants, hotels, imagination, and hospitality.”
He said while the pandemic decimated tourism, Pendleton wasn’t hurt as bad as some other parts of the state.
“Pendleton did see a drop of about 19 percent in direct spending from tourism,” he said. “But you compare that to the rest of the state and we were so fortunate. Clackamas, Lane, and Multnomah counties lost almost 50 percent of that direct spending from tourism. People are looking for places like Pendleton to come to.”
Tourism gets new life after rough 2020
By Terry Murry on Monday, January 24th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – During 2020, the Pendleton Convention Center and the Vert Auditorium were shuttered due to restrictions prompted by COVID-19. Manager Pat Beard says 2021 was a different story, with the two venues hosting a total of 268 events, which was an all-time high.
Beard is a strong believer in tourism as one of the key economic strengths for Pendleton. He said it began over 110 years ago with the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon, and it’s what continues to make Pendleton a popular destination.
“We don’t have flat ground like our neighbors to the west do and we don’t have easily-accessed hydroelectric power like our neighbors to the west do,” he said. “What we do have are events, restaurants, hotels, imagination, and hospitality.”
He said while the pandemic decimated tourism, Pendleton wasn’t hurt as bad as some other parts of the state.
“Pendleton did see a drop of about 19 percent in direct spending from tourism,” he said. “But you compare that to the rest of the state and we were so fortunate. Clackamas, Lane, and Multnomah counties lost almost 50 percent of that direct spending from tourism. People are looking for places like Pendleton to come to.”
