Oklahoma City Sees Major Tourism Upswing

Oklahoma City has added 2,500 jobs to the tourism industry since April 2008, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 60,000 people (59,700) are employed in leisure and hospitality jobs as of April 2011, compared with 57,200 in April 2008. This puts Oklahoma City in the No. 11 spot on the list for growth in tourism employment in the nation’s 100 major markets, ranking ahead of major metropolitan areas such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Charlotte.

“The Convention and Visitors Bureau aggressively promotes Oklahoma City as an ideal meeting and leisure destination, and the job growth in this industry reflects those efforts,” said Mike Carrier, president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Thanks to the growth, a buzz has been created around our city. This is a place people want to visit for meetings, special events and fun.”

Between FY 2008 and 2010, the Convention and Visitors Bureau achieved a 16 percent increase in hotel rooms nights booked, and secured 895 groups to visit the city, up from 474 – an 89 percent increase. There has also been a 24 percent growth in available hotel rooms.

“Oklahoma City’s tourism industry is continuing to grow year after year, thanks in large part to the dedicated efforts of the CVB staff,” said Roy H. Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “The fact that we will soon have a new state-of-the-art convention center to support this industry is going to set us apart even further.”

Only one-third of the nation’s 100 major markets have more jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector today than before the onset of the recession, according to the study. The leisure and hospitality sector includes hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, casinos, museums, performing arts companies and professional sports teams. The sharpest three-year decline was seen in the Chicago area, which lost 15,900 jobs in this sector.