Page 128 - Clackamas County Watertourism Strategic Plan. Final.v3

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WATER-BASED TOURISM IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OREGON THE OPPORTUNITIES
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Recommendation 38: Attract Niche Markets Put Clackamas
There are several niche markets in fishing and paddling that are not being catered to in other areas of the state. Since Clackamas County is struggling to “On the Map”
compete against Oregon’s most popular water-based recreation locations, it can build a name for itself by focusing on attracting these niche markets.
Attracting these demographic groups may require new infrastructure or simply a carefully tailored message through specific media. The most effective
strategy will vary depending on the group. Therefore, the DMO should study these groups to determine the most effective means through which they
should be reached. The recommended niche markets are:
LGBTQ: The LGBTQ community is underserved in the outdoor industry. In October 2017, the nation’s first LGBTQ outdoor summit was held in Seattle
Washington and sponsored by The Wilderness Society, Pride Outside, REI. The event was also supported by and OutThere
Adventures, National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, National Park Conservation Association, the Nature Conservancy, Northwest Youth Corps,
The North Face, Audubon, and Student Conservation Association which demonstrates a growing recognition that this an opportunity. This
demographic is at the early stages of a rapidly expanding business niche. Early entrants in this market include tour companies like OutThere
Adventures, IGLTA, R-Family Vacations, and OutVentures. The National Park Service is recognizing the new segment and is offering LGBTQ tours. Mt
Hood Territory’s brand health research has shown that this region performs well with attracting lesbian families. Now specific efforts should be
focused on attracting this market segment to fishing and paddling in the Mt Hood Territory.
Opportunities to market to this niche include: The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA: https://www.iglta.org/), in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has about 2000
members and holds an annual world convention in different tourism destinations around the world attracting over 500 representatives of the LGBTQ travel market; Passport
Magazine, the only gay and lesbian travel magazine in the United States (https://passportmagazine.com/); and The Gay European Tourism Association (GETA: http://www.geta-
europe.org/).

Youth at Risk: Approximately 18% of Multnomah County’s children live in poverty and another 12% do in Clackamas County. Organizations that work with youth-at-risk know
the importance of outdoor recreation in their lives. Outdoor recreation and adventure sports helps reduce stress, builds skills not otherwise
used, exposes them to nature, and introduces teens to team building and cooperative learning activities that they don’t normally experience in
their everyday lives. There are several organizations in northwestern Oregon seeking opportunities to take youth into nature. They need
locations that are safe and minimize logistical headaches. Several locations along the Clackamas and Willamette Rivers have what they need.
The Oregon City waterfront at Jon Storm Park and Sportcraft Marina have excellent parking, water-tourism services, commercial retail services,
and easy transportation. Other convenient and appropriate trips for this group include: the Barton to Carver float on the Clackamas; flatwater
paddling at Estacada Lake and North Fork Reservoir (Promontory Park) in Estacada; and Molalla River State Park in Canby to Willamette Park in
© Sam Drevo, eNRG Kayaking, Oregon City
West Linn. There are many government, non-profit, and private organizations serving youth-at-risk. A recent interview with one organization
in Portland that takes kids outdoors revealed that they didn’t know about Oregon City’s waterfront opportunities and like most Portland residents, didn’t know, or forgot, about
the Willamette Falls. A focused marketing to these organizations would help raise awareness of the opportunities on Clackamas County’s waters.