BYRDLI & Travel Portland launch creator-led winter push

Australian travel-tech platform BYRDLI has launched a destination campaign with Travel Portland that puts a creator-led itinerary and booking model at the centre of its promotion of Portland, Oregon.

The campaign, called The Portland Cut, focuses on winter travel and positions Portland as a place where urban neighbourhood life and access to nature sit side by side. BYRDLI said the work marks its first destination campaign of 2026.

Winter focus

The Portland Cut shifts attention away from peak-season travel. It presents Portland through neighbourhoods, food and culture, and through nearby outdoor settings. The campaign uses the theme Where City Meets Wild.

Travel Portland, the city's destination marketing organisation, partnered with BYRDLI on the project. The organisation markets Portland to international visitors and works with travel trade and media.

The campaign centres on Australian model and travel and lifestyle content creator Cole Dickson. BYRDLI said Dickson has creative control over the content and on-the-ground schedule while in Portland.

Dickson will build travel products during the trip and release them as he goes. BYRDLI said each itinerary, hotel stay and experience featured will become bookable through Dickson's BYRDLI Travel Club.

Creator commerce

BYRDLI's model links content and booking through personalised pages known as Travel Clubs. The company said creators use them as a storefront for stays, experiences and itineraries.

In this campaign, BYRDLI plans to publish content that tracks Dickson's time in the city and nearby outdoor areas. The itinerary includes coffee culture, independent design and riverfront settings, according to BYRDLI. The campaign also includes urban trails and forested areas in and around Portland.

Travel marketers have stepped up work with creators in recent years as platforms compete for attention and as travellers seek peer-led recommendations. BYRDLI cited industry research that it said indicates nearly 80% of travellers are influenced by creator and user-generated content, and that audiences are more than twice as likely to book after engaging with creator-led storytelling compared with traditional tourism advertising.

Travel Portland framed the partnership as a way to show Portland beyond a standard list of attractions and to place daily life and nature in the foreground.

"This campaign reflects the Portland we know - creative, connected and deeply grounded in nature," said Heather Anderson, Director of International Tourism Administration, Travel Portland. "By giving Cole the freedom to explore authentically, we're inviting travellers to experience Portland as it's actually lived, not just visited."

Bookings in real time

BYRDLI said Dickson will turn moments from his trip into items that audiences can book. The company describes the approach as building and releasing travel products live, with availability tied to the creator's published recommendations.

"For me, Portland is about balance," said Cole Dickson. "You can spend the morning in the city and the afternoon on a forest trail or by the river. The Portland Cut was about capturing that rhythm and turning my own personal moments and recommendations into experiences people can actually book."

BYRDLI Co-Founder Vanessa Richards linked the approach to changes in traveller behaviour and marketing. Richards also pointed to Portland's positioning as a city with both cultural activity and nearby nature.

"Travellers are seeking perspective over polish," said Vanessa Richards, Co-Founder, BYRDLI. "Portland has a rare balance - a vibrant city, striking nature and a creative edge with real grit. When you trust a creator to lead the story, you get content that resonates and a direct path from inspiration to action."

BYRDLI was founded in Australia and operates a commerce model aimed at creators and independent travel advisors. The company said it allows users to set up storefronts and earn income from bookings generated via their content and recommendations.

Travel Portland said it promotes Portland as a destination with strengths in culture and food, alongside access to nature and an independent character. The organisation works across domestic and international markets.

BYRDLI said The Portland Cut will roll out content and bookable travel products during Dickson's time in Portland, with new itinerary elements released as the trip progresses.