Research shows tourism bringing in record-high $8.94 billion

Whether they’re cruising Route 66, relaxing in a riverfront cabin or taking in world-class museums, travelers continue to flock to Oklahoma.

Tourism is the state’s third-largest industry, and new research by the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department shows that visitor spending hit a record high in 2017. An estimated 21 million visitors generated $8.94 billion in total direct travel spending for the state.

In 2017, tourism in Oklahoma directly supported 100,900 jobs that reflected earnings of $2.29 billion – both record highs for the industry. Those numbers have increased annually for seven consecutive years despite the economic downturn Oklahoma experienced during that period.

“Tourism is a crucial piece of the Oklahoma economy,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said. “The industry experienced consistent growth and served as an important economic driver at a time when other key sectors were seeing volatility. As we work to make Oklahoma a Top Ten state and show the world all that Oklahoma has to offer, we expect to see even more growth in the travel-and-tourism industry.”

Tourism generated $656 million in state and local tax revenue in 2017 – the equivalent of $430 for each Oklahoma household. That number represents taxes paid by visitors that fund the core functions of government, displacing taxes that state residents would otherwise pay.

“Oklahomans all over the state benefit greatly from the tourism industry,” said Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who is the Secretary of Tourism and Branding and also serves as chairman of the Tourism Commission. “It generates jobs and dollars for our big cities and our small towns. With our focus on making Oklahoma a Top Ten tourism state, we expect to see even more dollars flowing into our communities from traveler spending.”

The Department has been working on several new initiatives in 2019. In June, it launched the Oklahoma Fishing Trail in collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The trail, which can be found at FishinOK.com, highlights top fishing spots around the state. The state’s vast natural resources and the diversity of fish species found in Oklahoma’s lakes have long made the state a popular one with anglers.

Jerry Winchester, executive director of OTRD, said the department is constantly looking for ways to modernize its marketing efforts and make them more efficient.

“Over the past few years, the Department has begun using new tools that allow us to evaluate our marketing campaigns more quickly and accurately,” Winchester said. “This has helped us to increase our cost effectiveness and really maximize the return on taxpayers’ dollars.”

The state’s return on investment for its tourism marketing program remains high. The Department’s 2018 spring marketing campaign produced a 7-to-1 return on investment in state and local tax revenue.

The Department’s research was conducted by three industry-leading research firms: Dean Runyan Associates, Omnitrak Group Inc., and Longwoods International.

To read the full research reports, visit TravelOK.com/Industry_Reports.