Seventeenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The confluence of COVID-19 and telecommuting results in unprecedented numbers of people selecting former tourist destinations as places of primary residence. Individuals among this fluid population can simultaneously be tourists and/or migrants, with unique and important geographical imprints to local communities. For example, the remote and rural Bend, Oregon is deemed one of the fastest growing cities in the Western US, hosting one of the highest percentages of telecommuters in the country. The research is based on a combination of quantitative demographic data and qualitative semi-structured interviews and participant observation to characterize the types and magnitude of changes in Bend, Oregon that may be contributing to what some are calling the “New West” during the age of unprecedented telecommuting. Doing highlights emerging opportunities and challenges related to tourism and migration patterns given an increasing number of people now recreate and embed tourism behaviors into their everyday lives.