SALEM, Ore. -- Nearly 48 million Europeans will discover Oregon via their televisions when the European Travel Channel, in partnership with Travel Oregon, airs the 15-part series, "Oregon Uncovered."

kgw.com photo/M. Kilbourne

Rocks along the Oregon Coast pose a threat during high surf.

The show, to debut in January 2009, will feature the attractions, people, and experiences of Oregon. The European Travel Channel film crew began shooting the series in Portland in October 2007 and will wrap in Southern Oregon in September 2008.

The European Travel Channel series captures the compelling essence of Oregon and features each of Oregon's seven distinct tourism regions. Mount Bachelor, Powell's Book Store, Multnomah Falls, landmarks on the Coast, historic Jacksonville, Kam Wah Chung museum and wineries in the Willamette Valley, Washington County and the Columbia Gorge are just a few stops on the film crew's spring agenda.

The show will run for three years, showing twice weekly in primetime spots in Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Italy.

"This series introduces Oregon to potential international visitors, revealing the diversity of the land, people and culture we have here," said Travel Oregon's CEO, Todd Davidson. "Sponsoring this show is a key strategy for us to tap the accelerating economies and growing tourism markets of Europe," he said.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, overseas arrivals to the United States totaled 23.9 million in 2007, and Western European travelers accounted for almost 47 percent of that number.

In its Forecast Highlights for 2007-2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states, "international travel is growing at much faster rates than domestic traffic." Additionally, the Travel Industry Association of America forecasts an 18 percent increase in Western European visits to the U.S. by 2010.

"Europe presents a compelling and lucrative demographic for us right now," said Teresa O'Neill, Director of International & Domestic Travel Trade for Travel Oregon. "The combination of the strength of the Euro and British Pound, ample European vacation time, and economic vitality abroad make this a tremendous opportunity for Oregon's tourism industry," she said. "Many of these factors contributed to the launch of Northwest Airlines' new service from Portland to Amsterdam this month."

Northwest begins non-stop service from Amsterdam to Portland International Airport with an inaugural flight March 29.

Governor Kulongoski will be on board with a contingent of Oregon representatives from Travel Oregon, Travel Portland, the Port of Portland, and others. This is also the fifth anniversary of Lufthansa Airlines' non-stop flight from Frankfurt to Portland.