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Savvy Tulsa: Welcoming the World, One Story at a Time

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Industry

Destination Marketing

Challenge

Tulsa was experiencing a rise in tourism but lacked a unified, inclusive approach to educate front-line staff and local residents about the city’s offerings, cultural heritage, and evolving identity. Existing brand trainings didn’t fully reflect Tulsa’s rich history, tribal partnerships, and commitment to being “the most welcoming city in the world.” The city needed a flexible, scalable solution to build community pride and empower more informed visitor interactions.

Impact

Tulsa’s new training program quickly gained traction, with nearly 600 enrollments and over 100 participants attending the first in-person Savvy Tulsan event. Front-line staff and residents became informed, enthusiastic advocates, helping visitors feel welcomed while authentically sharing the city’s rich history and diverse culture. The program fostered deeper community pride and strengthened Tulsa’s identity as a destination that celebrates inclusion and local voices.

Key Services

Learning Experience Technology, Instructional Design & Course Creation

visittulsa.com
600+
Community Members Enrolled
47%
Increase In Mission Understanding
350+
Personal Stories Shared
100+
in-person Participants
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About Our Partner

Visit Tulsa is the official destination marketing organization dedicated to promoting Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a vibrant place to visit, meet, and explore. As a division of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Visit Tulsa plays a key role in driving economic growth through tourism by showcasing the city’s rich cultural heritage, historic Route 66, and world-class events. In recent years, Tulsa has experienced a tourism resurgence, supported by new infrastructure like a state-of-the-art visitor center and community-focused initiatives such as the Savvy Tulsan ambassador program.

The Challenge

Visit Tulsa recognized a growing opportunity to strengthen visitor experiences by empowering local residents and front-line staff with deeper knowledge of the city’s offerings and cultural significance. While tourism was on the rise, there was no centralized, inclusive training solution to help locals speak confidently about Tulsa’s unique story, especially its sovereign tribal partnerships, historic districts like Greenwood, and the city’s evolving identity. They needed a flexible and scalable approach to cultivate informed community advocates and ensure consistent, meaningful interactions with every visitor.

The Solution

Visit Tulsa discovered Learn Tourism after extensive research and peer recommendations, including a strong referral from a contact in Oklahoma City. Initially interested in a hybrid approach, they explored traditional brand training and internal onboarding tools but found these lacked the flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and customization they needed. What set Learn Tourism apart was its ability to rapidly develop and update engaging online content, personalize training pathways for different learner groups, and incorporate Tulsa-specific storytelling and tribal perspectives—all within a structured, proven framework for instructional design.

Through a collaborative development process, the Learn Tourism team partnered closely with Visit Tulsa’s leadership to craft a fully customized training experience. Key features like multilingual content options, real-time analytics dashboards, and branded course modules empowered Visit Tulsa to launch with confidence and track impact from day one. Tools for engaging storytelling, local testimonials, and interactive learning made the program resonate deeply with participants.

“This wasn’t just training—it was a way to bring Tulsa’s story to life and make every local feel like they’re part of something bigger.” - Program Manager

From onboarding visitor center staff to inspiring everyday citizens, the Savvy Tulsan program quickly became a cornerstone of Tulsa’s commitment to being the “most welcoming city in the world."

The Results

Within just a few months of launching the Savvy Tulsan program, Visit Tulsa saw tangible success in community engagement and visitor readiness. Nearly 600 individuals enrolled in the online course, while over 100 attended the first in-person Savvy Tulsan event, demonstrating strong interest and enthusiasm across sectors. Survey data revealed a significant transformation: 79% of participants reported a high or very high understanding of Tulsa’s tourism mission by the end of the course, compared to just 32% at the start.

More than 350 locals contributed personal insights about their favorite places to eat, visit, and explore, enriching the program with authentic voices and cultural pride. This grassroots input helped ensure that Tulsa’s welcome to visitors is not just informed, but heartfelt and unique.

“We didn’t just teach people about Tulsa—we invited them to be part of its story. That’s what made the difference,” Visit Tulsa’s program manager.

The Savvy Tulsan initiative empowered the community to speak confidently, celebrate inclusively, and extend warm, informed welcomes—proving that with the right tools and a shared mission, a city can truly train its way to transformation.

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