A group of 38 international travel operators toured Central Oregon this week to learn what the area has to offer visitors.

The group — from Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, China and France — took selfies in front of the last Blockbuster video store in the world, which is in Bend.

They visited museums, pubs and Fort Rock State Park, said Kristine McConnell, Visit Central Oregon’s vice president of industry relations.

Called the Oregon Road Rally, the tour began in Portland and includes stops in different parts of Oregon. This year it included Central Oregon. The group was here Monday and Tuesday and heads east on Wednesday, McConnell said.

While international visitors account for a small portion of the 4.5 million visitors to Central Oregon, their presence usually means longer stays and more money spent year-round, she said. International visitors often go to the big cities near international airports first and then return to explore areas farther from the airport, she said.

“We’re not their first destination. Usually that’s San Francisco, Seattle, even Portland,” McConnell said. “We’re their second experience. They’re always so surprised about what they see.”

Nearly three-quarters of Central Oregon visitors come from the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle and Oregon’s Interstate-5 corridor, according to Visit Central Oregon’s website.

Before the group leaves Central Oregon on Wednesday, they will participate in quick, rotating meetings at the Wall Street Suites in Bend with representatives from all seven of Oregon’s tourism regions. Each region will tout the attractions of its area to the travel agents, McConnell said.

“Some international travelers want to go out and explore,” said Linea Gagliano, Oregon Tourism Commission global communications director. “A lot of European travelers are independent travelers. Sustainability and outdoor recreation are big draws for them. The breweries of Central Oregon are popular and make us very attractive to the international traveler.”

Travel agent familiarization tours are a way to showcase what the area has to offer, she said. The last time a tour like this came through Central Oregon was 2017.

— Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com