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“We are concerned that the recent decision to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland could have a negative effect on visitation to the city,” Marcus Hibdon, vice president of communications for Travel Portland, said in an email. “However, visitors should know that the areas where it has been stated that the Oregon National Guard will be deployed are far away from the most popular visitor neighborhoods and attractions and located in isolated areas of the city that are very easy to avoid.”
Troops were previously expected to arrive on Thursday, but delays were possible, the Oregon Military Department said. As of Friday afternoon, National Guard members had not yet been seen on the ground in Portland.
When they do arrive, National Guard members are expected to perform federal functions for 60 days, which includes protecting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in South Portland.
“We expect the rest of our city will be completely unaffected, with lots to offer our guests,” Hibdon said.
Data from the current week won’t be reflected in lodging performance reports until mid-October. Even when that data is available, he said there won’t be any way to determine if any potential changes in performance are linked to the presence of troops or something else.
As KOIN 6 News previously reported, international tourism to Oregon has declined, with some would-be visitors blaming President Trump.
According to Travel Oregon, the research firm Tourism Economics estimates that international visitation will decline by 16.1%, and overseas visitors will decline by 2.4%. They cite “political tensions and uncertainty” as contributing factors to the decline in tourism across the U.S. this year, with the steepest decline coming from Canadian travelers.
Most of the travel spending in Oregon currently comes from out-of-state visitors. In 2024, Oregon residents made up about 37% of travel spending, while out-of-state residents accounted for 57%. International visitors accounted for roughly 5% of travel spending in the state.
In 2024, visitors from Washington spent $3 billion in Oregon, and Californians spent $2 billion. Idahoans brought $1.1 billion to Oregon’s economy. Arizona visitors spent $300 million, while tourists from Michigan spent $200 million in Oregon.
The state’s international visitors mostly come from Canada, China and the United Kingdom. In 2024, Canadians spent $232.5 million in Oregon. Visitors from China spent $65.2 million, and visitors from the U.K. spent $39.5 million. Guests from India, who had the next highest visitor spending, spent $39.1 million in the state, followed by Germany, which spent $34.5 million.
In Portland, Mayor Keith Wilson recently walked back a plan to extend the city’s pay-to-park hours, citing a downtown economy that is “still in recovery.” Local business leaders also released a letter voicing their disapproval of the deployment of federal troops to the city.
According to the most recent data from the Oregon Tourism Commission’s Lodging Statistics dashboard, occupancy rates for August were down 5.1% year-over-year in Portland. Year-to-date, the city’s occupancy rate is -2.9%. Demand for rooms in the city was also -4.4% for August, and -2.8% year-to-date.
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