Travel Oregon Announces Launch of GoSeeOregon.com

PORTLAND, Ore., April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Oregon, with GoSeeTell Network, today announced the launch of GoSeeOregon.com, a social networking travel website where visitors can interact as they explore Oregon destinations. The site-developed and hosted by GosSeeTell Network and sponsored by Travel Oregon-provides users a platform to network with other people as they share information, tips and recommendations about places to go and things to do in Oregon.

"GoSeeOregon.com is more about the people who visit places than about the places that are visited by people. With support from Travel Oregon, the site imparts authenticity to the Oregon brand," said Davidson. "It also allows us to build on our established track record as an innovator in the travel industry; we know of no other tourism destination that has attempted to engage travelers on this level," he said.

As part of the GoSeeTell network of websites, GoSeeOregon.com is a community site that could be described as 'Amazon meets Ebay meets TripAdvisor.' Users write reviews about places they visit and offer travel tips, add photos, and rate any other content they see on the site (places, tips, photos, deals, advertising, etc.). The site's unique functionality will allow users to get personalized recommendations that suit their interests and lifestyle based on input from likeminded users (i.e.: "search for what 25-35 years olds who travel with kids recommend in Portland").

To make sure user reviews are authentic, GoSeeTell has developed a proprietary system which calculates a trust-score for each user of the site. This "trustiness" rating indicates how trustworthy a GoSeeOregon.com user is, as rated by peers. Other sites allow users to post reviews or tips anonymously, which may or may not be trustworthy. A GoSeeOregon.com user creates a user ID which tracks that person's tips and reviews, and then allows other users to evaluate that person's postings to the site.

Sponsorship of GoSeeOregon.com is part of Travel Oregon's growing strategic emphasis on interactive marketing, said Davidson. The site provides Travel Oregon another channel to cross-promote the state and to test profile- based advertising. GoSeeOregon.com also offers an unprecedented opportunity to dialogue with consumers and glean new perspectives on their behaviors and beliefs.

"Engaging visitors this way allows Travel Oregon to stay relevant with consumers who not only seek to control how they access media, but are also eager to create their own media channels," said Davidson. "The proliferation of broadband internet access and mobile connectivity has fundamentally changed how consumers behave. Today, the Internet is not just a utilitarian tool used to shop for cheap air fares; it's a complex life-management tool. By supporting the development of GoSeeOregon.com, we're ensuring that consumers who look up Oregon destinations online get the richer experience they seek."

GoSeeTell Network (http://www.goseetell.com/) is a Portland-based web development company that builds and operates social networking travel websites, helping destination marketing organizations, travel suppliers, businesses and organizations stay relevant in today's web environment. Thousands of users from more than 100 countries are already sharing their travel experiences on the GoSeeTell Network.

"As an Oregon-based company, we are delighted to have Travel Oregon as a partner in developing GoSeeOregon.com," said Martin Stoll, CEO and President of GoSeeTell Network. "Destinations are realizing that satisfied visitors can be powerful ambassadors if they are provided a means to share their enthusiasm. People interested in visiting Oregon can now get official travel information from TravelOregon.com even as they look up unsolicited personal reviews and tips from people like them at GoSeeOregon.com. The sites serve different purposes, and they complement each other perfectly," he said.

The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance Oregonians' quality of life by strengthening economic impacts of the state's $7.9 billion tourism industry. Visit http://www.traveloregon.com/ for details.

NOTE: GoSeeTell Network and GoSeeTell.com.com are trademarks or registered trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries of GoSeeTell Network, Inc. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. (C)2007 GoSeeTell Network. All rights reserved.