Keep your favorite restaurants open, maintain the trails you love, and support the community you call home. See how every dollar tourists spend in Columbia County comes back to you.
Tourism improves residents’ quality of life—and it’s good for the tourist too.
You might not realize it, but those tourists wandering downtown St. Helens, hiking the Crown Z Trail, or grabbing lunch in Vernonia are directly funding the things that make Columbia County a great place for you to live.
Annual tourism impact in Oregon
Oregon jobs supported by tourism
In wages earned by tourism workers
(3.0% increase over 2023)
Tourism is a top 3 export industry
Tourism ranks as one of the top three export-oriented industries (businesses that bring outside money into local economies) in rural Oregon counties.
Source: Travel Oregon Economic Impact Report by Dean Runyan Associates
Here's what tourist money pays for in your daily life
Trail Maintenance & Improvements
Those well-marked, history-rich signs on the Crown Z Trail. The maintained pathways through your favorite hiking spots. Tourist dollars help fund the upkeep of recreational areas you use year-round.
Local Restaurants Stay Open
The best Steak House in Columbia County doesn’t just survive on locals. Tourist spending helps fill tables and keep restaurants profitable enough to remain your go-to spots for dinner and community gatherings.
Community Events & Festivals
From the County Fair to Halloweentown celebrations, tourist revenue helps fund the events that bring our community together and give us something to look forward to.
Waterfront ImprovementS
The beautiful riverfront areas where you walk your dog, watch the boats or or watch the sunset are enhanced and maintained partly through tourism-generated revenue.
Local Jobs
Tourism creates jobs for your neighbors in hotels, restaurants, shops, gas stations and markets, even services, and support for businesses throughout the county
Reduced Tax Burden
When tourists spend money here, they contribute to local tax revenue, which can help fund public services without increasing the burden on residents.
A vibrant downtown that brings in tourists is here for us all to enjoy as well. More tourists equals more customers, more shops, more jobs, more income for local businesses, and more tax revenue.
Columbia County Resident
"2025 Tourism Survey"
Tourism fuels small business growth. We need to take advantage of the beauty of the Columbia River. Some restaurants and parks along the river will draw visitors.
Columbia County Resident
"2025 Tourism Survey"
For Local Residents
When you see a “Tourist Money Accepted Here” sticker in a local business window, you’re looking at a partner in keeping your community vibrant. Here’s what tourism means for you:
- Your favorite coffee shop in Scappoose stays busy year-round
- The trails you hike get better maintenance and clearer signage
- Your Downtown areas get revitalized with tourist foot traffic
- Community events have more funding and bigger crowds
- Property values stay stable with a thriving local economy
- More diverse dining and shopping options open up
For Local Business Owners
Tourism is extra income and it’s what keeps many Columbia County businesses sustainable. Consider these benefits:
- Extended seasons beyond local customer base
- Higher revenue per square foot for retail spaces
- Justification and demand(?) for staying open longer hours
- Ability to hire additional staff (employees?)
- Increased visibility leading to word-of-mouth marketing
- Support for local supply chains and partnerships
The numbers don't lie
According to the latest data from Dean Runyan Associates and Travel Oregon, tourism is one of the top three export-oriented industries in rural Oregon counties. In 2024, statewide tourism generated $285 million in tax revenues—money that supports public services without coming from your property taxes. Let’s start taking their money.
1 in 3 dollars
In rural Oregon economies comes from tourism-related spending
$285 million
In tax revenue generated by tourists statewide (2024)
Source: Travel Portland Market Research
Year-round impact
Economic benefits extend beyond seasonal peaks
Source: OPB – Travel commission report
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P.O. Box 1653
375 S 18th St
St Helens, OR 97051
375 S 18th St
St Helens, OR 97051
For local COVID-19 updates, please visit the Columbia County COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
© 2021 Columbia Economic Team