Updated July 15, 10:05 a.m.: References to the Tulsa Regional Chamber were changed to Tulsa Regional Tourism. A Tulsa Regional Tourism spokesperson clarified while the organization is an arm of the chamber, it is pursuing the initiatives and supporting a mask requirement independently of the chamber.
Tulsa Regional Tourism has an initiative in the works to get tourists back to the area.
Tulsa Regional Tourism President Ray Hoyt said road trips are on the table for many, and a campaign aimed at those within a six-hour drive is coming together. Hoyt said it includes working with local businesses to show they’re following appropriate safety guidelines, but it’s going to take a broader effort as well.
"We’ll be providing some PPE, but clearly , it’s going to be a robust campaign for the next six months inviting locals and visitors to come back to Tulsa, that as a community, we’re clean and safe. I think the mask ordinance that’s going to come out here in the next day or two is going to be important to that message," Hoyt said.
Hoyt is pushing for city councilors to adopt Mayor G.T. Bynum’s proposed mask ordinance.
The organization is also looking for ways to restart northeast Oklahoma’s creative industries that have been stalled by the coronavirus pandemic. Hoyt said they have applied for film recovery programs to help with things like acquiring personal protective equipment for crews and certifying a COVID coordinator that helps ensure productions are following safety guidelines.
"We’re also working same thing with the music industry on how we can create stipends and ancillary income to those musicians so that they perform in our restaurants and some of our attractions," Hoyt said.
