How Discover Siskiyou is Tackling Pandemic Travel Impact on Public Lands

When COVID lockdowns emerged in early 2020 and leisure travel came to a halt, the tourism industry as a whole braced for a huge hit. At Discover Siskiyou, we ceased almost all marketing efforts, and our three-person marketing team shifted their focus to small business services, helping business owners apply for emergency funding and navigate new public health and safety protocols.  

However, over the next 18 months, what emerged in Siskiyou – and many other rural, outdoor-centric destinations – was unprecedented urban interest in exploring the outdoors. Faced with physical distancing recommendations and unsure about air travel, more and more Americans took to the open roads to escape lockdown. For many in Northern California, those roads led to Siskiyou. What we expected to be our worst tourism year on record turned out to be our most profitable, and a new challenge presented itself: protecting our public lands from overuse. 

Like a Local Campaign 

With a marked increase in litter and illegal campfires, the Discover Siskiyou team quickly realized the need for a campaign to help educate visitors new to outdoor recreation. In summer of 2021, we launched our “Like a Local” story series on Instagram. Using the seven Leave No Trace principles as inspiration, we posted content letting visitors know how Siskiyou locals expect themselves and others to protect our land. With interactive quizzes on topics like wildlife safety, proper waste disposal, campfire rules, and trail etiquette, we were able to present the information in a way that was fun and informative rather than shaming. We also encouraged locals to submit their own responsible recreation tips for us to publish on our page, allowing our local land users to feel empowered in being part of the solution.  

Partnerships 

Discover Siskiyou is actively working with Leave No Trace and the Siskiyou Outdoor Recreation Alliance (SORA) on co-branded campaigns to continue the message of responsible recreation within our region. Discover Siskiyou is also leading a NoRTEC Next Generation tourism industry sector partnership collaboration bringing together tourism partners in Northern California and Southern Oregon to tackle issues including workforce shortages, land overuse, pandemic economic recovery, and more. 

Though these efforts were sparked by the pandemic, the push for responsible recreation will remain for years to come. To learn more about Discover Siskiyou, visit our industry resources page at industry.discoversiskiyou.com.