January 25, 2024 Vol. 24, No. 36
In This Issue FOUR SEASONS
Tourism dollars grow
Four Seasons, by Kevin Box, in real life is located in front of the Center for Transformative Learning on the UCO campus, but this week is hidden somewhere in our paper. Email contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing. For more information, see page 4.
Focus on Education See Page 11 2024 Calendar of Events Inserted Today!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26 Rain High 51° Low 38°
SATURDAY, JANUARY 27 AM Showers High 49° Low 30°
SUNDAY, JANUARY 28 Mostly Sunny High 53° Low 33°
Editor’s note: (The following is a look at how big tourism has become in Oklahoma. But it’s just not the state. Edmond also benefits from increased number of visitors. In addition “Visit Edmond” has a new look for their marketing. See Page 3.
Governor Stitt and the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department released the record-breaking annual Economic Impact of Travel in Oklahoma report for the 2022 calendar year. “I always say Oklahoma is the best state in the country to start a business,” Governor Kevin Stitt said. “It’s our hope-driven, pro-business and pro-freedom policies that also make Oklahoma one of the best states to visit. I am thankful for Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell and Director Shelley Zumwalt’s leadership, as visitors from around the world come to Oklahoma to enjoy
everything our great state has to offer.” Travel spending increased to a record-breaking $11.8 billion, a 12.3% increase from the previous record of $10.5 billion set in 2021. The state also welcomed 18.3 million visitors in 2022, a 3.3% increase over the previous year. While domestic travel around the United States plateaued, Oklahoma’s visitation continued to rise, outpacing the rest of the country. Notable highlights from the 2022 impact report are listed below. •$11.8 billion in Travel Spending: Travel spending in Oklahoma saw its largest year-over-year percentage increase in nearly a decade, jumping 12.3% from $10.5 billion in 2021 to $11.8 billion in 2022. Of the total travel spending in 2022, visitors spent a combined $4.4 billion, or approximately 38%, in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties alone, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. •$833 million in State & Local Tax Revenue: Direct travel-generated tax revenue in 2022 was $833 million, an 8.4% increase over the prior year. Local tax receipts grew
9.7%, and state tax receipts grew 7.5% year-over-year. •7% Growth in Travel Earnings: Direct travel-generated earnings grew to $2.9 billion, a gain of $305 million, and an 11.7% increase compared to 2021. •72% of visitor spending came from out-of-state: Domestic travelers from outside of Oklahoma accounted for approximately 72% of all visitor spending in 2022, while residents of Oklahoma accounted for 27% of the total. •3% Growth in Visitor Volume: Oklahoma visitor volume continued an upward trajectory, reaching 18.3 million in 2022. The state saw a shift in in-state vs. out-ofstate visitation trends, with nearly two-thirds of travelers coming from outside of Oklahoma. •17% increase in out-of-state travelers: Out-of-state travelers increased 17% compared to 2021, for a total of 11.5 million, or 63% of total Oklahoma visitation. •5,230 Jobs Added: Direct travel-generated employment increased to over 103,000 with the addition of approximately 5,230 jobs, a 5.3% increase in employment compared to 2021.