Oregon Tourism Commission launches digital magazine

The Oregon Tourism Commission launched its first all-digital, interactive version of its flagship publication, Travel Oregon magazine: http://magazine.traveloregon.com/ .

The Oregon Tourism Commission launched its first all-digital, interactive version of its flagship publication, Travel Oregon magazine: http://magazine.traveloregon.com/ .

Designed to engage consumers in the Oregon brand and travel experience, the new digital Travel Oregon magazine tells five seasonal stories using rich media. The content – pictures, videos, interactive maps, itineraries, and narratives – can be shared via social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.

With the online format, readers can dive into the experiences of the writers: likeminded “super” travelers with special expertise in an Oregon tourism niche (e.g., outdoor adventure or culinary travel). They can interact with authors via blog entries and comments, follow their routes, view details on destinations and attractions visited, and plan their own Oregon adventures using the authors’ interactive maps and itineraries.

“The digital magazine inspires readers with compelling stories and photography like the print edition did, but new interactive tools give us the chance to really engage visitors,” said Kevin Wright, director of consumer marketing. “We’ll get immediate and frequent online feedback, which will allow us to be hyper-responsive to travel interests and trends and more effectively promote Oregon as a destination.”

According to a 2008 study conducted by the US Travel Association, approximately 90 million American adults use the Internet to plan travel, with 76.4 percent of online travelers planning leisure trips online. For those online travelers involved in travel planning, the Internet is the dominant source for travel information and is used as the primary tool for planning the entire trip.

“The response from our advertisers has been extremely strong,” said Megan Kirkpatrick, custom publishing director at MEDIAmerica. “This interactive environment gives them the chance to reach a highly-engaged audience in a more powerful way, bridging the gap between inspiration and purchase.”

MEDIAmerica produced the print magazine semi-annually and was selected by Travel Oregon last year to produce the new digital edition, which will be offered quarterly. The interactive magazine, hosted by the award-winning TravelOregon.com website, joins the ranks of Travel Oregon’s print publications, Oregon Trip Planner and Scenic Byways Driving Guide, plus three e-newsletters and multiple boutique websites dedicated to Oregon’s niche travel interests.

Readers can subscribe to Travel Oregon digital magazine and receive all future editions via email by signing up here: http://subscribe.traveloregon.com/ .

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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