Bend topped a recently released list of 20 small U.S. metropolitan areas that make the best destinations for beer-related vacations.

Travelocity, a travel-planning website, and the Brewers Association, a business advocacy group for craft brewers, collaborated on a “beer tourism index” that ranked craft-brewing destinations according to the number of breweries per capita, the availability of direct flights and rideshare services and with the average cost of lodging.

“It’s a strong trend, but we don’t have year-after-year information,” said Julia Herz, craft-beer program director for the Brewers Association. “We’ve seen it growing enough to have the name ‘beercation.’”

A 2015 survey of 1,003 people for Travelocity found more than 75 percent would like to visit a destination where they could visit craft breweries and sample local beer. Also, Herz said, the U.S., whose 4,800 breweries make 20,000 different brands of beer, is now the top destination country in the world for people interested in sampling craft beers.

“People want to experience culture authentic to the area they’re traveling in,” Herz said. “What better place to do that than in a local brewery?”

Portland topped the list of large metro areas that are destinations for craft-beer enthusiasts. The West dominates both lists. Eleven of the large metro beer destinations and 13 of the small metro destinations are west of the Mississippi River.

“It just happened that way,” said Jina Michael, of Citizen Relations, a public relations firm working with Travelocity. “The West Coast just has a higher density of breweries per capita.”

Of the four categories that factor into the Travelocity beer destination index, the number of breweries accounts for 70 percent of the score. Bend’s 28 breweries gave it an edge over its next rival, Boulder, Colorado, which has more than 40 breweries but a larger population. Bend scored 159.8 on breweries; Boulder scored 125.2.

Both cities scored relatively low on direct flight availability and the price of lodging. Boulder scored 100 on rideshare availability, meaning access to services like Uber, while Bend scored zero.

One way Bend markets its craft breweries is the Bend Ale Trail, a list of participating craft breweries. Private companies like Bend Tour Co., The Bend Brew Bus and others provide transportation. The ale-trail concept is one that other communities imitate, said Kevney Dugan, president and CEO of Visit Bend.

Crux Fermentation Project is one stop on the trail. Founder Paul Evers said the trail has brought scores of tourists to Bend, where many breweries are within walking distance of one another.

“We hear a lot, and we meet a lot of people from around the world,” Evers said. “Bend has become a notable craft-beer destination. People are excited about the community of craft brewers here, and our outdoor recreation.”

A survey of visitors to Bend during the 2015-2016 winter season found brewery visits and the Bend Ale Trail the sixth-most popular activity cited by visitors. Dining, scenic drives, shopping and skiing topped the list. However, a fourth of all visitors said they had visited a craft brewery in Bend

The survey, by RRC Associates Inc., of Boulder, found 82 percent of visitors cited a combination of outdoor recreation, sightseeing, leisure and brewery tourism as the main reason for their visits to Bend.

“Bend has done a phenomenal job promoting itself as a craft-beer destination,” Evers said. “And that has paid off significantly.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7815, jditzler@bendbulletin.com