Tourism industry hopes 2028 Summer Olympics will be boon for Oklahoma economy

OKLAHOMA CITY — The state’s hospitality industry and tourism leaders have already begun preparing to host the tens of thousands of visitors that are expected to flock to the region to attend the 2028 Summer Olympic games.

While Los Angeles will host the majority of the games, seven medal events will be held in Oklahoma City in July 2028, and the state’s central location is expected to draw as many as 500,000 athletes, coaches, spectators and members of the media to the region over several weeks.

Jennifer Thornton, Edmond’s tourism director, said the Olympic presence could cause a ripple across the region’s economy.

“The Olympics is a huge opportunity for tourism, and the city will gain money that economically impacts everybody here,” she said. “From people renting hotels or houses, they all pay sales tax from food, gas and even shopping. Those dollars go to our streets and they build facilities, so it is a huge deal to make this (as) important as possible.”

Edmond is about 15 miles north of Riversport Adventure Park where the Olympic kayaking and canoe slalom events will be held.

Michael Byrnes, who is responsible for organizing Oklahoma’s 2028 role and serves as the president of Team OKC, said the Olympics will be a really important moment in time for Oklahoma City. For 15 consecutive days, national and international broadcasts will have all eyes on Oklahoma City.

He said it is a chance for the world to see how great the venues and city are. Oklahoma City leaders understand this is a moment to capitalize on, and a lot of local and state groups are working together to maximize that exposure, Byrnes said.

He said organizers expect strong attendance due to the state’s central location.

“There is going to be high-volume tourism and with Oklahoma City being a central location, surrounding states in the Midwest have the opportunity to come and enjoy the Olympics,” Byrnes said. “We expect a lot of visitors. It is going to provide a great economic lift to the State of Oklahoma and more specifically Oklahoma City.”

OKANA Resort and Indoor Waterpark, which is run by the Chickasaw Nation and is a stone’s throw from the water sport venue, is working closely with community partners to prepare, said Joanie Magtibay, an account supervisor.

In addition to operating an 11-story hotel, the resort also offers restaurants and retail.   

Magtibay said her team is actively working with Riversport and other key community partners to ensure they are “fully prepared to welcome Olympic visitors, athletes’ families and guests who simply want to be part of the excitement at OKANA during this historic moment for both Oklahoma City and the state.”

Edith Gonzalez, with Oklahoma City’s Omni Hotel, which is also near the water sport venue, said that they’re expecting it to be busy.

“It’s hard to predict the full impact of such a huge event like the Olympics, but we can reasonably assume that we will see a significant boost in tourism through the state during those dates with visitors from across the country and around the world,” Gonzalez said in an email. “With major events like these we can expect higher hotel occupancy levels which will also increase staffing levels and boosts in restaurants and retail.” 

The economic impact of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which took place in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, was expected to be over $6 billion.

Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, had sought to advance a legislative measure that would create an account to help pay for Oklahoma City to host the event. While the bill did not advance to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk, lawmakers did allocate $15 million to help pay for infrastructure and transportation needs.

Thompson has said $100 million will be required from federal, state and local money and private donors. Thompson said she expects the Olympics to draw over 500,000 visitors.

Hilary Nolan, a local owner of a few rental properties, said as the Olympics get closer, she’s been thinking about changing some of her properties from long-term to short-term rentals.

“I have even had thoughts of having my own house rented out during that time on Airbnb or VRBO,” she said Nolan

The events scheduled in Oklahoma City include canoe slalom which will run from July 14-22. Softball games will be played from July 23-29.

Editor’s note: This story was produced through a reporting partnership between Oklahoma Voice and the University of Central Oklahoma’s journalism program.