Oklahoma City has added 2,500 jobs to the tourism industry since April 2008, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 60,000 people (59,700) are employed in leisure and hospitality jobs as of April 2011, compared with 57,200 in April 2008. This puts Oklahoma City in the No. 11 spot on the list for growth in tourism employment in the nation's 100 major markets. "The Convention and Visitors Bureau aggressively promotes Oklahoma City as an ideal meeting and leisure destination, and the job growth in this industry reflects those efforts," said Mike Carrier, president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. Between fiscal year 2008 and 2010, the Convention and Visitors Bureau achieved a 16 percent increase in hotel rooms nights booked, and secured 895 groups to visit the city, up from 474 - an 89 percent increase. There also has been a 24 percent growth in available hotel rooms.
