Millions check out what The Dalles has to offer

There were slightly less walk-in customers between July and December last year than in 2016, Farquharson told The Dalles City Council at its Jan. 22 meeting.

She said 2,221 people came into the office at 404 W. Second Street during that time. She blamed the closure of Interstate 84 tied to the Eagle Creek fire that raged in the west end of the Gorge for the loss of several hundred clients. For the same reason, she said fewer welcome bags, at 1,285, were distributed to conferences during the latter half of 2017.

However, Farquharson said 2,140 phone calls were received, an increase from 1,667 in 2016, many from people asking if The Dalles bridge remained crossable for people to get on Interstate 84 above the fire zone.

Surprisingly, the most popular age of people accessing the chamber’s website for tips about lodging, recreation and events was 25 to 34. Second place went to the 35-44 crowd.

“That tells me that people in that younger age are interested in getting out and finding some fun things to do,” said Farquharson.

Most people looking up data were from The Dalles, with Portland replacing Hood River in second place.

“That tells me pushing 300 days of sun is really getting into the Portland demographic,” said Farquharson.

Hood River was followed by Seattle in hits. Those residents were probably also looking for someplace to enjoy a break from the rain, said Farquharson.

She said The Dalles was mentioned in a variety of print and online publications. These included Northwest Travel & Life, The Columbian, Northwest Military, Outdoor Northwest, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and The Reel News.

In addition, KGW, an NBC-affiliated television station in Portland, accepted Farquharson’s invitation to come to town and talk with businesses owners hurt by the fire.

Reporters were asked to come to town because other media reports indicated that the Gorge ended at Hood River and Farquharson the record needed to be corrected and people in the metro area needed to know that The Dalles businesses were also hurting.

Travel Oregon is gearing up for a celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Oregon Trail, which will reference The Dalles as a hub for settlers, she said.

True West will also do a feature on the Oregon Trail.

Regionally, Farquharson said added focus is being put on the recreational opportunities in the area, so The Dalles will also benefit from that marketing and promotional effort.