Oklahoma tourism director outlines 2026 spring marketing push, highlights Route 66 and state parks

Amy Blackburn, Director of Tourism and Recreation, told the Senate Economic Development, Workforce and Tourism Committee that Oklahoma’s 2026 spring marketing campaign will emphasize Route 66, state parks, and several major events while balancing in‑state and out‑of‑state advertising.

Blackburn said the agency moved marketing work to Jordan Advertising in 2025 and that an agency transition produced a budget carryover that allows a larger investment this season. “This year, we’re spending about 30% of our total media budget in‑state versus 70% out of state,” she said, adding that the 30% in‑state spend covers all 77 counties.

She highlighted targeted line items for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Women’s College World Series and FIFA events and said the campaign will promote new Route 66 travel guides and the magazine Oklahoma Today. Blackburn said the campaign tagline is “Bold Belongs Here,” and described the creative as “bold and vibrant and full of personality,” with more people‑forward imagery than past work.

On tactics and measurement, Blackburn said the agency allocated $50,000 to “air travel conquesting” to market in cities that gain new direct flights to Oklahoma City and announced a partnership with Datafy to provide better spending, lodging and paid‑media attribution data so the agency can track what is working.

Blackburn said success will be measured by increased statewide visitation, higher online bookings at travelok.com, greater revenue at state parks, and increased tax receipts linked to tourism. She told the committee she would circulate the campaign video assets to members when editing and technical issues are resolved.

The presentation prompted no formal action; Blackburn invited follow‑up questions and offered to provide additional materials on request.