The City of Tulsa has started the process of establishing a tourism improvement district.
It would charge hotels with 110 rooms or more a 3 percent tax on their gross receipts, with the estimated $2.3 million in revenue going toward marketing to bring more tourists into the city.
The city will begin notifying affected hotels and motels now and aims to have the district in place by January. Councilor Karen Gilbert said every hotelier needs to benefit from the proposed citywide taxing district.
"Most of the promotions that I’ve heard are promotions of downtown," Gilbert said. "I just want to hear how this is going to be equitable in making sure that it is marketing the whole city."
An advisory board including representatives of various hotel sizes will help guide the enhanced marketing efforts through VisitTulsa. Tourism officials say Tulsa is behind cities like Dallas and even Wichita when it comes to marketing, which have turned increasingly to digital tactics like online and mobile ads based on location.
Post Oak Lodge General Manager Trisha Kerkstra said while her hotel isn’t in Tulsa city limits, she agrees with many hoteliers VisitTulsa needs more funding, and soon.
"We don’t all agree on how it can be done, but what I say is we’ve got to do something because we’ve been behind the bus, however you say it, for too long," Kerkstra said.
Support for the tourism improvement district is coming from outside the hotel and motel industry, too. BOK Center’s Kathy Tinker said 41 percent of their ticket buyers are from outside the Tulsa metro.
"But, while BOK Center’s been a catalyst for music-related tourism, we realize that we could do a better job marketing Tulsa as a regional tourism destination," Tinker said.
The city hopes to have the taxing district set up by January in order to start collecting revenue April 1. Officials estimate the required public hearing process will take three to four months.
