Home Cartoon shows Largest City In Oregon Has ‘A Long Way To Go’ To Repair Its Rep | Economic news

Largest City In Oregon Has ‘A Long Way To Go’ To Repair Its Rep | Economic news

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By SARA CLINE, Associated Press / Report for America

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland’s “badly damaged” reputation – marked by months of destructive protests, a homeless crisis and a record year of homicides – is hurting the reputation of the largest city in the Oregon, according to the city’s main tourism promoter.

Travel Portland, the city’s partially tax-funded tourism promotion group, presented data this week to city council and the mayor showing the city has fallen to its “lowest level” of being a destination likely for delegates to attend conferences. Only 64% of tourists surveyed said they would visit Portland again.

“There’s an old adage, ‘It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and you can ruin it in an instant.’ It’s true for cities, as it is for people, ”Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said in response to data from Travel Portland. “And we’re just going to have to embark on this long-term process of improving the city’s safety, livability and prosperity.

The liberal city had long been known nationally for its ambrosia food scene, craft breweries, and nature-loving hipsters. But last year it became the epicenter of racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

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For months, a small town center was consumed by protests that often turned violent, with clashes between protesters and federal agents, plumes of tear gas, fireworks exploding in the streets and bullets. rubber flying in the air.

Although the violent protests in Portland have largely abated, there are still epidemics, including earlier this month. In the middle of a vigil for an activist killed two years ago, a crowd of 100 smashed store windows, started fires in dumpsters and caused at least $ 500,000 in damage to buildings and businesses. from the city.

Data from Travel Portland shows that more than half of event planners and two-thirds of participants surveyed recently indicated that their ‘likelihood’ of booking or attending meetings in the city over the next two years was strongly influenced by the “visibility” of the race and social protests.

“The impact of this is that we probably won’t even have the opportunity to bid on many conventions over the next two years, which will affect our long-term successes going forward,” said Jeff Miller, president. and CEO of Travel. Portland.

Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan said a friend of his who recently volunteered at a convention texted him about his experience with visitors who didn’t feel right. safety in the city.

The woman told Ryan “It was really depressing to have so many people approaching her, looking angry, that we even allowed ourselves to have a big convention … like we weren’t. ready for it. “

While Portland’s most recent consumer study showed that the likely return rate of visitors to the city was an improvement from the start of this year, the level was lower than surveys conducted before the pandemic and protests.

The occupancy rate of downtown Portland hotels has also improved since the start of the pandemic, but Miller said the number of hotel rooms booked in September lagged behind all cities. competing tourism that Travel Portland tracks, with the exception of Minneapolis and San Francisco.

“The recovery is happening elsewhere, but not here,” Miller said.

Portland is in the midst of a homelessness crisis that businesses, organizations and local residents are urging the city to do something about – in the form of additional housing, mental health resources, cleanups and a increased public safety.

At a recent city council meeting, workers in a Portland neighborhood with many health care buildings spoke about their experience that staff and patients endure because of a large homeless encampment nearby. .

“The first thing they see is the trash, RVs and tents blocking our sidewalks and discarded drug paraphernalia,” said Sonia Bouchard, director of operations at the Oregon Clinic Gastroenterology East at Gateway. “They are often yelled at, approached for money and in some cases threatened.”

Employees often witness erratic behavior, fights, nudity and drug use, she said. Patients told staff they felt unsafe, and some decided to change doctors.

“We added fencing and security,” said Dr Harry Bray. “But, we think at this point, we are unable to improve things and we need your help.”

The spiraling homelessness crisis has already had an impact on some major events in the city.

Over the summer, Oregon’s largest annual golf event was moved from Portland and the nearby site to a sprawling homeless camp on the outskirts of West Linn.

The city is also in the middle of its most violent year – with at least 69 homicides reported so far this year in Portland, surpassing the previous annual record of 66 set in 1987.

Despite the challenges, Wheeler insisted the city is resilient and that with “a lot of work” Portland will reappear as a safe and desirable travel destination.

Travel Portland has increased its marketing of the city, but officials have said more is needed and city officials expect a budget windfall soon with planned additional funding of $ 60 million that city council could use as it pleases – including the promotion of tourism and efforts to make the city more attractive and safer.

“I’m not saying stop your marketing, but right now people aren’t buying it,” Wheeler said. “They want to see these results. They want to see some action.

Sara Cline is a member of the Associated Press / Report for America Statehouse News Initiative body. Report for America is a national, nonprofit service program that places reporters in local newsrooms to cover undercover issues.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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