About the EOCTC

Dear Community Leader:

Communities in Eastern Oklahoma County joined together more than 10 years ago to capitalize upon the hospitality industry to attract tourism dollars to our area. Our efforts to promote and develop tourism in our area are ongoing. The Eastern Oklahoma County Tourism Council's efforts to market our events and promote our hospitality facilities include partnerships with other industry organizations such as the Frontier Country Marketing Association.

Recreational facilities and tourism continue to increase in Easter Oklahoma County, and guess what? It's no longer a secret! The following events continue to increase in attendance:

• Midwest City's Tinker Inter-Tribal Pow-Wow.
  
• Harrah's Heritage Days Festival celebrating Harrah's heritage.
  
• Choctaw's popular Oktoberfest hosts thousands of attendees, making the event one of the largest in Eastern Oklahoma County, and it was designated an official Oklahoma Centennial event!
  
• Star Spangled Salute, our annual 4th of July celebration commemorating Independence Day, is co-sponsored by Tinker Air Force base and provides an opportunity to celebrate Tinker's rich heritage. This event, awarded the 2007 Event of the Year Award by Frontier Country Marketing Association, was also an Official Oklahoma Centennial event!

What does this mean for your community? By aggressively marketing our community special events, tourism products, parks, and hospitality venues, it means more visitors are being attracted from other Oklahoma communities and beyond, thereby creating more opportunities for those visitors to spend money in our communities and making a greater impact on YOUR local economy.

Recreational facilities, tourism, and business opportunities are abundant in Eastern Oklahoma County. It's no surprise that more people are discovering the family fun in Eastern Oklahoma County! A strong sense of patriotism is apparent throughout Eastern Oklahoma County. The Shriner's & Armed Forces Day Parade, an annual event in Del City, attracts hundreds of spectators as well as many state and local dignitaries. In fact, a new World War Veterans Museum is scheduled to open in Choctaw in the not-too-distant future.

A few years ago we asked you to appoint two representatives from your Chambers of Commerce, local governing bodies, etc. throughout Eastern Oklahoma County, and you were kind enough to respond accordingly. Today, Eastern Oklahoma County Tourism Council (EOCTC) is made up of two representatives from nine municipalities as well as tourism and hospitality organizations in Eastern Oklahoma County. The Eastern Oklahoma County Tourism Council meets the first Thursday of every month, with meeting places being rotated between cities throughout Eastern Oklahoma County. EOCTC is committed to building partnerships to foster, develop, and encourage tourism in eastern Oklahoma County.

It is time to renew Eastern Oklahoma County Tourism Council memberships. Please join our efforts to make Eastern Oklahoma County not just a pass-through, but a destination for visitors and business people alike. To better serve our communities, we have a brand-new look and have increased our benefits (see Membership Benefits).