Coos County visitor spending in 2022 exceeded pre

May 28, 2023

COOS BAY, Ore. – In 2022, visitor spending in Coos County exceeded levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an audit by Travel Oregon’s third-party research firm, Dean Runyan & Associates.

Data from the report shows that visitors to Coos County spent $295.9 million via the travel industry during the 2022 calendar year, generating $2.1 million in local taxes and $10.4 million in state taxes, according to area tourism officials.

“Some of the increase in Visitor Spending can be attributed to a 5% increase in summer visitors to our destination compared to summer of 2021 plus the high gas prices we saw in summer of 2022,” said Janice Langlinais, executive director of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB). “In addition, we have seen a nice increase in visitors flying to the destination through Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) in North Bend, up 10% over 2021 according to Dean Runyan & Associates.”

Travel officials said that visitors spend $277.3 million in Coos County in 2019, and fell to $179.3 million in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021, spending rose to $218.6 million, an increase of 22 percent from 2020, officials said.

This data will be shared with tourism and business officials at a May 10 luncheon at the Mill Casino in North Bend as part of National Travel & Tourism Week, according to Oregon coast tourism officials. The luncheon will recognize the impact of travel in the local economy hosted by the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor & Convention Bureau.