ENID – An increase in spending by visitors has advanced Garfield County into the top 10 among the 77 Oklahoma counties in tourism spending.
Travelers to Garfield County spent $81.26 million in 2010, according to a new survey – the Economic Impact of Travelers to Oklahoma Counties 2009-2010 – released by the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department.
Spending by travelers to Garfield County in 2010 increased from $80.68 in 2008, according to the Tourism & Recreation Department. The 2010 spending by visitors represented 1.31 percent of total spending by travelers in Oklahoma during the year.
Garfield County passed both Payne County and Muskogee County in the survey, climbing from 11th to ninth. Counties with the largest population largely were ranked at the top. Oklahoma County, first; Tulsa County, second; Cleveland, third; Comanche, fourth; Beckham, fifth; Washington, sixth; Carter; seventh; and Canadian, eighth; were the counties with higher spending than Garfield County.
The increase included both spending by tourists and business visitors.
“It is good to see that people are realizing that things are happening in Enid,” said Marcy Jarrett, director of the Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The energy industry also contributed to spending.
“A good part of the increase is from the oil and gas industry,” Jarrett said. “Many of the oil workers are in areas that do not have as many hotel rooms as we do. So they stay in Enid and buy things in stores and eat at the restaurants.”
Enid has about 800 hotel and motel rooms.
For the state survey, travel was defined as activities associated with all overnight and day trips to places 50 miles away or more from the traveler’s origin and any overnight trips away from home in paid accommodations.
The Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau was created in late 2010 by the city to promote the area as a travel destination. Global Spectrum, which operates Enid’s Cherokee Strip Conference Center, has a contract to operate the bureau.
Jarrett expects spending in the area by travelers to continue to increase.
“Enid has so much going on right now, we anticipate those numbers will continue to grow,” she said. “The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center opened in April, Leonardo’s Children’s Museum is expanding, and the new Enid Event Center and renovated Convention Hall is on the horizon.”
New events are expected to bring additional visitors to the area, said Rob Houston, communications coordinator for the Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Christmas in the Village opens Dec. 4 at the Cherokee Strip Heritage Center. The new event was created to show visitors experience Christmas in the Cherokee Outlet as it was more than 100 years ago.
Jarrett said Christmas in the Village is expected to become an annual event.
“It’s great to see Garfield County in the top 10, but we’re not satisfied,” Jarrett said. “We will continue to promote Enid as a getaway destination and a business, meetings and events destination to bring new revenue and jobs into the community.”