Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell laid out his priorities Thursday for a state Senate panel considering his nomination to be secretary of tourism and branding.
Pinnell said his priority for 2019 will be seeing what Oklahoma’s regional competitor states spend on marketing themselves to tourists and boosting the state tourism department’s budget accordingly.
"I want to help make money for the state of Oklahoma. Sales tax dollars, visitors — even better, people coming outside the state. A lot of Oklahomans spreading money around, but I want people coming inside the state of Oklahoma and dropping those very precious sales tax dollars," Pinnell said.
Pinnell said tourism is Oklahoma's third-largest industry, and every dollar spent on it will bring in eight. Marketing Route 66 will be central to those efforts. Pinnell believes it can attract international visitors, even to Oklahoma’s small towns.
Next on the 2019 to-do list is a comprehensive branding campaign. Pinnell said a uniform identity will better position the state to lure visitors and businesses.
"Hopefully, by the end of this year, we have a new brand that we’re able to push out to all the government agencies. You will not see a logo that — every agency’s got their own logo. It’s kind of a hot mess. Can I say that in a Senate hearing? 'Hot mess'?" Pinnell said.
Pinnell said Oklahoma’s 33 state parks also need attention after years of neglected maintenance, but that will be a long-term plan.
"States that do invest in their state parks system, Arkansas being one of them, have some of the best state parks in the country. And every weekend, we’ve got minivans crossing over that invisible line into Arkansas, and that’s unacceptable to me," Pinnell said.
The Senate Business, Commerce and Tourism committee sent Pinnell’s nomination for the cabinet secretary post to the full Senate.
