Space Available for OTRD Training Camp on Feb. 24

A few spaces are still available for the next OTRD Training Camp coming up February 24.

Held four times a year, these full-day sessions provide the chance to meet and interact with OTRD staff to learn about programs and get assistance with specific areas of focus or concern. For your convenience, we will get all the right people together at one time.

Participants will meet in our Oklahoma City office and get to know who we are and what we do. You will have access to our staff for individual appointments in the areas of public relations, development, grant funding, electronic marketing, consumer, group, and international travel.

Other opportunities include:

• Meeting with our frontline call center staff and let them know about your community or attraction.
• Learning how you can work with the Oklahoma Film & Music Office and what special requirements are needed for this industry.
• Pitching your story to our public relations staff, Oklahoma Today Magazine, and Discover Oklahoma.

For more information about this exciting, interactive program, please contact Barbara Elder at (405) 230-8409 or Barbie@TravelOK.com.

Seven Pilot Programs Lead the Travel Industry in Sustainable Certification

By Taylor Hall

OTRD recently launched ECO, Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma, which seeks to promote, encourage and develop sustainable travel practices statewide. The ECO program is a dynamic partnership between the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

As part of this exciting new program, OTRD and DEQ have developed an ECO certification which identifies businesses that have made a commitment to reducing their environmental impact. This certification is open to businesses and organizations throughout the state who wish to implement sustainable practices.

We are currently working with seven pilot programs including the Colcord Hotel, Maple Place Bed and Breakfast, Science Museum Oklahoma, Keystone State Park, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, Blackwell Tourism Information Center, and Tulsa’s Polo Grill. These locations have filled out checklists identifying sustainable practices, worked with program leaders to develop an action plan, and implemented “Green teams” to oversee the improvements. OTRD offers continual support to these organizations every step of the way through education, marketing, and consultation throughout the process.

ECO makes certification simple, and OTRD is even offering free workshops throughout the state to provide businesses and organizations with information on this exciting new program. The workshops also provide insight into the marketing components offered through the ECO program, plus additional education about sustainable travel and the efforts going on in the community.

Upcoming workshops will be held in the following communities:

January 12, 2010 Oklahoma City – Science Museum Oklahoma (10 a.m.-noon)

January 27, 2010 Tahlequah – Armory Municipal Center (10 a.m.-noon)

February 9, 2010 Duncan – Simmons Center (10 a.m.-noon)

February 11, 2010 Enid (10 a.m.-noon)

We welcome anyone who is interested to participate in the ECO certification or a free Sustainable Travel workshop. For more information about the ECO program, please contact Jessica Blackstock, Sustainable Initiatives Coordinator, at (405) 230-8415 or Jessica@TravelOK.com.