OKLAHOMA CITY – Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Krista Ratliff was “super excited” and “surprised” when she was appointed as a state tourism department commissioner.
Ratliff was nominated for the post by state Sen. John Michael Montgomery (R-Lawton). Ratliff, who has already attended one commission meeting, will serve until July 1, 2023. She replaces former commissioner Sandra Kunz. Gov. Kevin Stitt made the decision to appoint Ratliff last month.
“I think Governor Stitt recognizes the things we have going on in southwest Oklahoma,” she said.
Ratliff intends to bring her financial oversight and business management experience from the Lawton chamber to help move the tourism commission forward.
“We (Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce) really focused on tourism when COVID hit and we had a record-breaking year,” she said. “We turned our focus on outdoor activities and the people in southwest Oklahoma because we realized people weren’t traveling into Oklahoma. As a result, we began advertising on area billboards and encouraging people to visit this area of the state.”
The chamber has since expanded its advertising campaign outside Oklahoma after many of the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
Montgomery pointed out that Ratliff also played a role in establishing the Joint Education Task Force to create Oklahoma’s first Purple Star School designation, and led the Holiday in the Park initiative to quadruple revenue in the first year of oversight, allowing for an increase in direct investment back into the Lawton community.
“As our state’s tourism industry grows, we need forward-thinking leaders who can come up with outside the box ideas to recruit and retain businesses and other attractions that will continue to bring tourists to our state,” Montgomery said. “Krista has more than 20 years of in-depth experience in operations, management, strategic planning, team building and cost-saving initiatives. The skill set she’ll bring to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission will be valuable as we work towards the goal of making our state a Top Ten tourism destination nationwide.”
As the state’s third-largest industry, Oklahoma brought in an estimated 17 million visitors in 2020, a 17% drop from the previous year, but the number was substantially less than the 34% drop in domestic travel that the United States endured, according to tourism department research. The state’s share of the domestic travel market increased to 1.9% of all domestic travel, up from 1.5% in 2019.
Visitors’ average trip spend in Oklahoma saw an even bigger increase. For 2020, it grew to $434 per night, up $91 from 2019’s $343 per-night spend.
In a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic caused upheaval throughout the travel sector, the Oklahoma travel and tourism industry generated $7.1 billion in direct spending by visitors, according to the department’s research.
The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission is comprised of eight appointed members and serves as an advisory body to the executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. The commission focuses on plans and programs of the department and promotion of the development and use of state lodges, parks and recreational areas.