Travel Oregon awards nearly $6.2M to dozens of groundbreaking projects across the state

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - Travel Oregon is awarding nearly $6.2 million to 65 groundbreaking projects that it says will transform visitor access across the state while also strengthening local economies.

The 2024-25 Travel Oregon Competitive Grants Program was designed to increase access and inclusiveness for those who may have experienced barriers to visiting Oregon. Whether that be by better addressing various mobility challenges or celebrating the diversity of people and communities who live in and travel to the state.

“Around the world, one in five people live with some type of visible or non visible disability, and when you factor in friends or family of those people, that’s nearly a third of us that are impacted by that,” said Allie Gardner, Industry Communications Manager for Travel Oregon. “And so in Travel Oregon, we see a huge opportunity to change those spaces and to improve accessibility, to remove barriers to people feeling included.”

This year’s grant awardees represent all seven of Oregon’s tourism regions, including local governments, port districts, federally recognized tribes, and nonprofit entities.

In the Portland area that includes the Lan Su Chinese Gardens and Oregon Walks.

“The Lan Su Chinese Garden, where the grant funds are going to go to improve multicultural accessibility and inclusion,” Gardner said. “We’re also funding Oregon Walks, which is a pilot way finding project to get people on foot traffic, or to get foot traffic back downtown. So it’ll be a designated walking route, wayfinding and signage that will help folks feel more welcomed and inclusive to explore downtown on foot.”

A full list of grant awardees can be found in the document below:

Since the Competitive Grants Program’s inception, Travel Oregon says it has invested more than $26 million in hundreds of projects. Projects funded by the competitive grants program in 2024-2025 will be completed by November 3, 2026.