(Portland, OR) -- Downtown Portland had its strongest summer for tourism since the beginning of the pandemic. The Portland Metro Chamber reports nearly two-and-a-half million people visited the downtown area each month during the summer. Weekend foot traffic was up nine percent compared to 2023. The final weekend of August had a 20 percent increase. They say the reasons include reduced crime and increased events. The Rock Star skateboarding competition and the Coraline Curious Cat Trail boosted weekend traffic numbers. More events are planned for the fall and winter.