A young man who was born and raised in central Oklahoma left the country with his college degree and a passion for hospitality because he believed he would not be successful in the state.
The same man, Zac Craig, watched from afar as his home state and capital city evolved into a travel destination over the years.
Today, Craig serves as president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, which recently announced that the tourism industry had a $3.8 billion economic impact on Oklahoma City in 2021. According to the study by Oxford’s Tourism, Oklahoma City’s tourism industry Economics.
This is the bureau’s first time working with the company and Craig said he looks forward to them replicating it for the 2022 dates.
“I think back to when I left,” Craig said. “And I really believe that kids who are just moving up the ranks have a future in our city, whether it’s in restaurants, hotels or anything else.”
Many in the tourism industry point to one thing that changed the course of Oklahoma City — the passage of the first Metropolitan Area Projects.
In 1993, voters approved a dime sales tax that collected more than $363 million in sales tax and interest over five and a half years and funded projects like Bricktown Ballpark, the Cox Convention Center, and the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The city is now in the fourth iteration of M`S with upcoming projects such as a multipurpose stadium, a new fairgrounds and the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center.
“I think it’s paying off two decades later,” said Tina Gilliland, chief experience officer for the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. “We’ve invested in ourselves, so not only have we improved our quality of life, but we’ve also increased the attractiveness of our city and country as a tourist destination.“
Oklahoma City had to reinvent itself before it attracted visitors
The Bricktown Canal was also funded by the early M`S, and when it was completed in 1999, the Florida-based Bricktown Water Taxi began touring what was then the canal, which was mostly surrounded by dirt and a single restaurant.
Chad Huntington, who bought the company in 2019, started driving the water taxis part-time in 1999 while also serving as CEO of Automobile Alley. Huntington said being able to drive a boat and be able to talk to drivers about how Oklahoma City is revitalizing its downtown area is perfect for him.
Today, the taxis primarily drive visitors, whether they’re from other parts of the state, across the country, or pre-pandemic international visitors.
Huntington often jokes that the cabs are “the most touristy thing in the most touristy area of Oklahoma City.”
But when Huntington became general manager of Bricktown Water Taxi and began promoting Oklahoma City as a destination at travel fairs, he said he faced a lot of “really ugly comments” from people who thought Oklahoma City had nothing to offer.
The city knew it had to “reinvent itself,” he said, and through M`S and other developments, it became a place its residents loved and proud of before it could convince outsiders to visit.
“Why would you want to visit a place where the locals don’t even want to live?” said Huntington.
Today, Oklahoma City is the “star of the show” for the state’s tourism industry
Lt. gov. Matt Pinnell, who also serves as secretary for tourism, wildlife and heritage in Gov. Kevin Stitt’s cabinet, said Oklahoma City has come a long way in proving that the perception that Oklahoma is just flat country means nothing to be visited, “Couldn’t be further from the truth.”
In fact, he called Oklahoma City the “star of the show” in terms of Oklahoma’s tourism industry.
In 2021, 21.4 million people visited Oklahoma City, a return of about 93% to pre-pandemic visitor volume, according to Craig. They spent about $2.3 billion on direct travel spend, with half of that going to groceries, beverages and retail. Accommodation accounted for 16% of spending, recreation and entertainment 18% and transport 15%.
Pinnell said Oklahoma City and the state as a whole have learned to play to their strengths when it comes to attracting visitors.
“We’re an authentic tourism destination: Native American history, Route 66, the Chisholm Trail, these big urban areas, but also small-town charm,” said Pinnell. “We play with what we’re good at, and if we continue to do that while also modernizing our cities like Tulsa and Oklahoma City, I think we can continue to generate record revenues from our tourism industry.“
Oklahoma City has been dubbed “The Modern Frontier” by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, with attractions such as the Boathouse District, Scissortail Park, the new Convention Center, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the brand new First Americans Museum.
The city has also invested in neighborhoods and district creation as tourist destinations, including the Paseo Arts District, Plaza District, Asian District, Uptown, and Midtown. Pinnell called these neighborhoods “really authentic” and “fun”.
Oklahoma City also hosts events like the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, which was capped at 12,000 runners in 2021 due to the pandemic but averaged 24,000-25,000 runners prior to 2020 and is known as the “Horse Show Capital of the World” thanks to the Jim Norick Arena at the OKC Fairgrounds.
According to Tripadvisor, the main attraction in Oklahoma City is the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Gilliland said the museum is focused on its core mission, part of which is educating people about the effects of violence.
“Everything we do is at the core of it, and the rest just happens,” Gilliland said, including the fact that it’s a top tourist attraction in the city. Anecdotally, Gilliland said they hear from visitors who come to Oklahoma City specifically to see the memorial and museum.
OKC’s Tourism Industry on the Road to the “True North”
For the everyday resident, Oklahoma City’s tourism industry could fly under their radar, Huntington said.
But that doesn’t mean the people of Oklahoma City aren’t reaping the benefits, he added. According to the report, more than $311 million in state and local tax revenue was generated.
“They come here, bring cash and drop it off,” Huntington said. “And they’re leaving… These are people who don’t really use the services that we as citizens count on.” And what they really do is improve our quality of life.”
With upcoming developments like the OKANA Resort and Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine expected to continue to attract new visitors, Craig sees a bright future.
“The trajectory for Oklahoma City in the visiting economy is due north,” Craig said.
Pinnell said he sees continued growth for Oklahoma City, saying the city and state need to continue nurturing ties with Oklahoma’s 39 tribes.
Thanks to a partnership between the city of Oklahoma City, the state and the Chickasaw Nation, the First Americans Museum has opened after decades of delay and the OKANA Resort is under construction. In Tulsa, Cherokee Nation works closely with Visit Tulsa, Pinnell said.
“Nobody can do what we can do in Oklahoma when it comes to this relationship between our sovereigns and the state,” Pinnell said.
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