Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation
Department of Tourism and Recreation logo
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1972 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Headquarters | 900 North Stiles Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission |
| Website | www.oklatourism.gov |
The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. The Department is responsible for regulating Oklahoma's tourism industry and for promoting Oklahoma as a tourist destination.
The Department is governed by the a nine-member Tourism and Recreation Commission, with the Governor appointing eight members and the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma serving as the ninth member and chair of the Commission. The Commission then appoints an Executive Director to administer the Department.
The Department of Tourism and Recreation was created in 1972 during the term of Governor David Hall.
The Department of Tourism and Recreation is led by the Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. Under Governor Mary Fallin, Deby Snodgrass serves as the Secretary while Dick Dutton serves as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.
The Department is governed by a nine-member Tourism Commission which hires the Executive Director and establishes policies for the Department. Eight members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate. The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma serves ex officio as the ninth member and Chair of the Commission.
As of 2016, the members of the Commission are:
The Department began in 1931 when the Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $90,000 for the land on which Lake Murray is located. In the late 1930s, the United States Congress directed the United States Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction on several large reservoirs, primarily for flood control and water supply. In 1951, Lake Murray State Park also became the site for the first of seven state-owned resort lodges. Through the years, park, lodge, and tourism programs rested in the Planning and Resources Board, the Department of Commerce and Industry, and the Industrial Development and Park Department. In 1972 the Legislature created the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, now made up of four divisions.
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