ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — The number of visitors staying in a hotel or rental home on the Oregon Coast dipped slightly last year, but overall spending grew to nearly $2 billion. Many hotel operators have not felt the slight decline, however, and say that 2017 was an exceptionally good year, in part because of higher room and transportation costs and travelers who are choosing to stay longer, The Daily Astorian reported, based on the findings of the 2018 Oregon Travel Impact study. The report shows tourism spending has increased 2.2 percent overall, while bookings for hotels and rentals dropped 1.3 percent overall between 2016 and 2017.