TD Chamber gets recommend for competitive tourism contract award; Ask? $465k

The Dalles, Ore., May 27, 2025 — The Dalles City Council will vote Monday, June 2, on whether to authorize a $465,000 tourism promotion contract with The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, following a competitive bidding process that began earlier this year.

The proposed agreement would continue the Chamber’s longstanding role in promoting tourism in The Dalles. If approved, the Chamber would implement a new Destination Development Plan and hire an Executive Tourism Director to guide future tourism strategy and branding.

In preparation for the current contract’s expiration, the City issued a Request for Proposals in February and received submissions from five organizations: Noble Consulting LLC, Granada Theatre/Spotlight Tourism Center, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, The National Neon Sign Museum, and Watson Creative.

One proposal was rejected for missing the submission deadline, leaving four for evaluation.

Following a legal review by the City Attorney’s Office, only two entities—The Chamber and Watson Creative—were deemed fully responsible under Oregon’s public contract standards. The National Neon Sign Museum was found partially responsible, and one proposal failed to meet minimum experience requirements.

The Ad-Hoc Tourism Services Contract Review Committee, formed in January and composed of representatives from local businesses and tourism sectors, evaluated the three qualifying proposals. Using criteria such as marketing capability, event planning, cruise ship readiness, and data reporting, the committee unanimously recommended awarding the contract to The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The committee’s recommendation emphasized the need for a broader tourism strategy that goes beyond traditional visitor services. Their report noted the opportunity “to assess how tourism recruitment and destination management should occur in The Dalles,” including branding and community engagement.

The resulting negotiated scope of work incorporates these recommendations. It includes a community workshop to guide long-term tourism strategy and more detailed deliverables for services like weekend visitor support and marketing analytics. The Chamber has also applied for a $93,000 Travel Oregon grant to support this expanded vision, with a $5,000 in-kind contribution pledged regardless of grant outcome.

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The proposed budget for the new contract is $465,000 for fiscal year 2025–26, with an annual increase cap of 3%. The City’s current budget includes $450,000 for tourism services, and staff indicated they will bring forward a budget adjustment at the June 9 adoption meeting if the contract is approved.

City staff is recommending Council approve the agreement as recommended. However, Council is always capable of making modifications, taking no action or directing staff to revise the proposal.