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Tourism is back: Oklahoma breaks record for visitor spending

by The 100 Companies

It was a very good year. In 2021, 17.7 million people visited Oklahoma, setting a record by generating $10.1 billion in direct visitor spending at a time when the travel industry was extremely hard hit by the pandemic.

More than $748 million in state and local tax revenue was generated, an increase of 3.3% over 2019, supporting 96,800 jobs.

The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department was one of the first states to promote outdoor recreation during that time, and those marketing campaigns paid off. More than $354 million was generated by the state parks alone, creating close to 3,000 jobs.

– Staff Report, The Oklahoma 100

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