New analytics reveal visitors contribute 67% of spending to local businesses; "The Boys From Oklahoma" concert series drives 16.5% increase in sales tax receipts
Visit Stillwater celebrated its 40th anniversary in July, marking four decades of promoting tourism and supporting local businesses since the organization's establishment on July 1, 1985.
The milestone comes as new data reveals the substantial economic impact of tourism on Stillwater's economy, with visitors contributing 67% of spending to local businesses and 24% specifically to local restaurants.
"Visit Stillwater is the glue that holds the community together," said Vice Mayor Amy Dzialowski, highlighting the organization's role in connecting various community entities and events at the Aug. 4 City Council meeting.
The organization's success is demonstrated through recent achievements, including three RedBud Awards from the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association. Visit Stillwater won the Best Overall Marketing Campaign award for its Orange Glow initiative, which encouraged residents and businesses to switch their outdoor lights to orange bulbs during OSU football season.
"The Orange Glow actually won a Redbud award for a statewide DMO award as the best marketing campaign in the state of Oklahoma," said Cory Williams, Visit Stillwater board member. "So we feel pretty good about that."
The organization also received the Best Partnership award for its collaboration with Stillwater Middle School students to create the inaugural Stillwater Visitor Guide for Kids, along with a Merit Award for Outstanding Agritourism Attraction for The Twelves.
Full Moon. Full Glow. Full Send.
Join instructors from Red Earth Yoga Center for a magical night of slow flow yoga under the stars. Bring your mat, water, and join the community at 9 p.m. on Sept. 7 and Oct. 6 for this FREE yoga session. Past your yogi bedtime? Check out the free community classes at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 23 & 30, Sept. 19 & 26 and Oct. 17 & 24.
Let’s move our bodies and light up the night at Block 34.
A major highlight of Visit Stillwater's recent impact was "The Boys From Oklahoma" concert series held April 10-13, 2025, at Boone Pickens Stadium. The four-day Red Dirt music festival featuring Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours, and other artists generated significant economic benefits for the community.
Data from Oklahoma State Athletics shows 84% of primary ticket buyers attended one night, while 16% purchased tickets for multiple nights.
Hotel occupancy increased 40% during the concert weekend compared to the average of the previous four weeks, rising from 64% to 90%. The average daily rate for hotels jumped 103%, from $141 to $285.
Visitor tax revenue increased 22.2% in April 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, rising from $179,508 to $219,362. Sales tax receipts from April sales, collected in June, showed a 16.5% increase, growing from $3.39 million in 2024 to $3.96 million in 2025.
"Well, it [concert series] definitely performed differently than we expected and a big reason for that is because 70% of those that came had no ties to OSU," Morrison said. "It wasn't our home football crowd."
Visit Stillwater has invested in advanced data analytics through a partnership with Zartico, a marketing technology company that uses geolocation and spending data to provide insights into visitor behavior. This data-driven approach allows the organization to make more targeted marketing decisions and better understand tourism's economic impact.
The Zartico data reveals that 42% of devices observed in Stillwater come from visitors, with these visitors contributing 40% of total spending across all categories. The average visitor spends $371 per day per cardholder.
"By transforming complex data into actionable insights, we illuminate the hidden patterns of people and places, empowering our marketing team to identify and engage our ideal visitors at the optimal time," according to Visit Stillwater's annual report.
A message from Visit Stillwater
It’s fair season! Head to the Payne County Free Fair for livestock shows, tractor pulls, carnival rides, and all the fair food you can handle.
"The value of the services we provide is almost $1.3 million," said Cristy Morrison, Visit Stillwater's President and CEO, referring to the organization's support for meetings and events. "That's not including all of the marketing and promotion we do for about 250 businesses and over 2,000 events a year."
Morrison emphasized the organization's role in supporting small businesses that often lack their own marketing resources. "We provide more resources and marketing to local businesses than most of them provide themselves," Morrison said.
The organization's visitor development incentive grants and sponsorships totaled $125,745 in fiscal year 2025, supporting events that attracted an estimated 58,646 day visitors and 14,299 overnight visitors. The estimated visitor spending from these supported events reached $12.97 million using the Destinations International Event Impact Calculator.
The visitor tax, increased from 4% to 7% in July 2022 following a successful referendum, generated $2.55 million in fiscal year 2025, representing a 55% increase from the previous year. Under the current structure, 70% of visitor tax revenue goes to Visit Stillwater for destination marketing services, while 30% supports visitor development amenities administered by the Stillwater Economic Development Authority.
Visit Stillwater actively participates in community initiatives, supporting events like Block 34's opening, holiday celebrations including the Holiday Parade of Lights, and various activities throughout Stillwater. The organization also supported successful ballot measures for the OG&E franchise agreement to power the Google data center campus and the new Animal Welfare Facility.
As Visit Stillwater enters its fifth decade, the organization continues to adapt its marketing strategies based on data insights while maintaining its core mission of enhancing Stillwater's economy, image, and quality of life through tourism promotion and development.
📺 Watch Visit Stillwater's Annual Presentation to City Council