Oregon Public Broadcasting

Bend's tourism industry closed out the fiscal year in positive territory. The city saw a slight increase in hotel tax collections compared to last year. 

0.8 percent might not seem like a big number. But it's significant primarily because it doesn't have a big negative sign in front of it.

Bend originally projected a 14 percent decline in room taxes collected by hotel operators.

Across the nation, tourism industries have hobbled through the recession. Nationally room tax receipts were down by more than 4 percent. Oregon on the whole was down by more than 3 percent.

Doug Laplaca is President of Visit Bend.  He says every major tourist destination he's seen took a hit last year.

Doug Laplaca: "Bend did not. And although our year-over-year increase was less than 1 percent, the fact that it was an increase at all was a major victory for us."

Laplaca believes that Bend's tourist appeal will help the city long-term. The hope is that with more money flowing in, companies will follow to chase those dollars.

And Laplaca says that should bring something else the city desperately needs, more jobs.