OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department has unveiled a new travel initiative called ECO—Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma—which promotes, educates and encourages sustainable travel in the state. The ECO program approaches sustainable travel from both industry and consumer perspectives. It includes education, green certification and marketing support for tourism industry partners and helps them embrace sustainable travel practices for minimal economic impact with maximum return.
ECO will also identify sustainable travel options such as lodging, restaurants and attractions so that tourists seeking green travel will have easy access to this information.
“Oklahoma has a legacy of conservation, preservation and innovation—qualities that are fundamental to sustainable travel,” said Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins, chair of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission. “As stewards of this great state, we are proud to encourage ideas, actions and practices that will sustain us.”
The program is not about tapping “green” trends or fads, but rather a reality of the times. According to U.S. Travel Assn. research, 51 percent of consumers will continue to patronize sustainable travel service suppliers regardless of an economic downturn. In fact, nearly half of travelers (48 percent) say that continuing to support sustainable travel is a necessity.
Tourism for the Greater Good
“Today’s travelers demand sustainable practices and we aim to help the tourism industry make these changes without sacrificing the quality of service or experience,” said Hardy Watkins, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. “Sustainable tourism looks at the environment, the economics and the cultural role that tourism plays. Our goal is to infuse sustainable practices into Oklahoma’s travel industry not for the sake of trendiness, but for the greater good of our industry and state.”
The Oklahoma Tourism department is kicking off the ECO program with seven pilot programs that include businesses from a range of tourism industry sectors. They include: Colcord Hotel, Oklahoma City; Keystone State Park, Sand Springs; Maple Place Bed and Breakfast, Enid; Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, Oklahoma City; Oklahoma Tourism Information Center, Blackwell; Polo Grill, Tulsa; and Science Museum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City.
“These pilot programs will provide valuable feedback to help shape and evolve the ECO program over time,” Watkins said. “Two of the pilot programs are taking place at facilities operated by the Tourism Department, so we are not only advocating for sustainable practices but incorporating them into our own operations.”
The ECO program is a dynamic partnership between the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
“The initiatives and innovations created through this program are directly related to our department’s mission,” said Steve Thompson, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. “This partnership is a great step forward for the state and by tapping DEQ’s experience and expertise, we will positively impact one of Oklahoma’s largest industries.”
Clean the World Partnership
The ECO program has also resulted in a first-of-its-kind partnership with Clean the World, a nonprofit organization that provides personal hygiene products to Third World countries.
“We are thrilled to partner with Oklahoma’s ECO program and tourism industry to collect ‘gently used’ hotel soaps and shampoos which will be recycled and shipped to Third World countries,” said Shawn Seipler, executive director of Clean the World. “The simple act of having soap to wash your hands can prevent millions of illnesses and deaths around the globe. Each year more than five million lives are lost to preventable diseases—with the majority of deaths being children less than five years old.”
Oklahoma is the first to partner with Clean the World at the state level and encourage its tourism industry to participate in the program.
For more information about the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department’s ECO program or the partnership with Clean the World, visit www.TravelOK.com.
