07:46 AM PST on Monday, November 7, 2005

Associated Press

MEDFORD, Ore. -- Fall is a traditional slow season for Oregon's tourism industry -- summer's over, ski season hasn't started yet, and the rains have sent in.

File photo

But it is harvest season, the theme of the ongoing Oregon Tourism Commission-sponsored "Oregon Bounty" campaign, which highlights the apples, pears, cheese and wine produced in the state's diverse regions.

And this year, 75 members of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild have signed onto the campaign, while more than 70 restaurants and many grocers throughout the state will prominently feature more Oregon products on menus and store shelves.

"It was the next logical step," says Greg Robeson, a marketer for Brand Oregon. "The lodging group was ready to jump in."

The Oregon Tourism Commission said a survey of Oregon's wineries following last year's marketing campaign show that foot traffic increased 40 percent and tasting room sales jumped 50 percent over 2003.

That was enough to hook bed and breakfast owners such as Marilyn and Lee Lewis, who have owned the historic Orth House in Jacksonville for nine years.

"It sounded like a neat idea and something to do between September and Christmas," Marilyn Lewis said. "Things slow down this time of year and we thought it might be a good way for people to travel around the state and see what we have to offer."

Guests making reservations can expect an Oregon Bounty basket when they arrive at the Orth House, Marilyn Lewis said.

The cost of the campaign is $400,000, plus in-kind donations from participants, says Holly Macfee of Robeson Communications.

Winery participation, she said, is up 20 percent from last year.

Ashland Winery owner John Weisinger said the state's wineries learned how powerful the marketing partnership could be last year.

He said he's looking forward to what results a targeted media buy in the Sacramento area in October and November will produce.

"Before, all these different groups were duplicating their efforts," Weisinger said. "Together, they can be a lot more powerful."