Tourism By Ray Hoyt, President, Tulsa Regional Tourism
For decades, much of Oklahoma’s economic identity has resided within the energy and aviation industries. Today, thanks to attractions such as Route 66, big events at the BOK Center, the Gathering Place riverfront park, and major sporting events such as the USA BMX Grand Nationals and PGA golf tournaments, tourism is a significant economic driver for Tulsa and the entire state. As a matter of fact, tourism is now the third largest industry in Oklahoma, and the Tulsa region is a huge attraction for many. In 2020, 7.2 million people visited Tulsa and spent $845 million, generating a total economic impact of $1.2 billion, according to an annual study by Oxford Economics. Marketable visits — purely leisure trips rather than trips to visit friends or relatives — accounted for 3.2 million visits to our region. Local tourism supports more than 15,300 jobs in Tulsa, and the state and local taxes sustained by tourism offsets $590 in taxes for each household in the city.
GREG BOLLINGER
These numbers reflect the hard work of Tulsa Regional Tourism — the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s destination marketing organization — to attract visitors to our city. People are choosing to visit Tulsa in significantly greater numbers during the past decade. And while the COVID-19 pandemic impacted that momentum in 2021, we continue to sell the future of Tulsa as a major tourism destination. That’s been made easier by the increase of visit-worthy offerings within our region.
Southern Hills Country Club hosted the 2021 Senior PGA Championship and will host the PGA Championship in May 2022.
For example, Buck Atom’s 21-foot space cowboy on Route 66 is rapidly becoming a must-see roadside attraction. The John Hope Franklin Memorial was named “the most important monument to visit in the U.S.” by National Geographic. The Outsiders House Museum celebrates the beloved literary classic by S.E. Hinton and the film by Francis Ford Coppola. The 66-acre, $465 million Gathering Place riverfront park continues to gain accolades, with USA Today having named it the best new attraction in the country. Travel experts Frommer’s named Tulsa as one of the best places to visit in the United States in
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| VISION TULSA 2022
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