>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Union County Tourism officials often partner with other groups in the region to promote Union County events, beauty. ().

‘People kind of assume La Grande has a lot of events, but that isn't really the case. There is a need for more. When you bring more people to La Grande, you get more people visiting the smaller communities.'

– Janet Dodson

Union County Tourism Executive Director

Bill Rautenstrauch

Staff Writer

Businesses relying on the visitor trade know one thing for certain: Before the customers walk through the door, they've got to come to town.

Somebody needs to convince vacationers to take the exit off the freeway.

And in Union County, the job falls to Union County Tourism, a quasi-public entity situated with the Union County Chamber of Commerce in the old fire station in downtown La Grande.

"Our job is Union County, though we often partner with other groups in the region," said UCT Executive Director Janet Dodson. "We look for cooperative opportunities, because they give us more bang for the buck."

Union County Tourism became its own entity in 1995-96. Before that, it was the Visitors and Convention Bureau, a part of the county Chamber of Commerce.

"The chamber had so much going on," Dodson said. "We came to a point where we realized nearly all of the chamber meeting time was being taken up by tourism."

Union County Tourism is governed by a 12-member board of directors which includes representatives from various sectors of the economy, plus at-large members appointed by the City of La Grande and Union County.

Dodson and an assistant, Rebecca Lester, are the only paid staff.

They man the office, work up flyers, brochures and other advertising materials, seek out and apply for public and private grant funding, and maintain contact with tourism-related publications across the state and even the nation.

"We do a lot of story pitching," Dodson said.

She said that when a publication shows interest, UCT works to see to it the writer has everything he needs to produce a quality article.

"We help pay for lodging and meals, tickets for the excursion train if they happen to be writing about the Wallowa-Union Railroad, and we get them the information they need," she said.

Even though UCT and the chamber have had separate missions for several years, Dodson said many people still fail to see the distinction.

"A lot of people don't know we exist. I think they just take it for granted that tourism marketing is done by the chamber," she said.

The two entities do share reception and phone duties, however. Because their offices are so close together, they together serve as a visitor center where people are sure to get answers to questions about the area.

"Comments in our guest book show the combined staff does an excellent job," Dodson said.

Union County Tourism also works closely with the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association, which works to bring visitors to a wider area.

Dodson, who serves as EOVA president, said the EOVA plays a vital role in tourism development from The Dalles to Ontario.

"A lot of people don't seem to know it, but there is more to Oregon than western Oregon," she said. "The EOVA helps narrow interest down to this region."

In addition to EOVA duties, Dodson works as the marketing contact for the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, a long loop of scenic road that takes in portions of Union, Baker and Wallowa counties.

"That's the one attraction in Northeast Oregon that is truly of national significance," said Dodson "It is paying off for us to be actively involved."

She said that whenever possible, UCT teams with like-minded groups to promote the area.

One of those is the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce, which has a strong interest in marketing excursion trips on the Wallowa-Union Railroad.

"The train is a very important attraction. For people who are planning longer vacations, it's one more reason to come and visit," Dodson said.

This year, UCT drafted a budget for $154,700. The lion's share of the money comes from transient room taxes charged by Union County and the City of La Grande.

For the 2005-2006 fiscal year, the city chipped in $81,000, or 45 percent of the total collected. The county's contribution was $31,000, or 28 percent of the total.

The remainder of UCT's budget comes from grants, special projects and promotions, cash carryover and a few other miscellaneous sources.

Program implementation is UCT's main expense, tallying $75,500 for this fiscal year.

At present, UCT is working to develop more attractions and special events in La Grande and surrounding Union County.

New projects include a walking tour of La Grande's older homes, and tours of local art galleries.

"People kind of assume La Grande has a lot of events, but that isn't really the case. There is a need for more," Dodson said. "When you bring more people to La Grande, you get more people visiting the smaller communities."