Chickasaw Nation Wins RedBud Awards

The Chickasaw Nation recently received top honors from the Oklahoma State Department of Tourism and the Oklahoma Travel Industry for tourism promotion efforts in “Chickasaw Country.”

The Chickasaw Nation received RedBud Awards for Best Brochure or Publication for the Chickasaw Cultural Center coloring book and Best Social Media Campaign for Chickasaw Country. ChickasawCountry.com also received a Merit Award for Best Website.

The honors were announced May 6 during the annual RedBud Award ceremonies. Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb and “Discover Oklahoma” host Jenifer Reynolds presented the prestigious awards at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.

RedBud Awards are based on applications submitted in 16 tourism categories and recognizes the importance of tourism to the national and local economies.

Direct travel expenditures in Oklahoma generate more than $6.2 billion for the state’s economy annually and support jobs for 74,900 residents.

The Chickasaw Nation was honored with a RedBud award from its ChickasawKids.com coloring booklet, which is a 12-page publication highlighting the Chickasaw Cultural Center. Designed by Chickasaw illustrator Ryan Ringle, the educational coloring booklet features the Chickasaw Kids mascots at various sites on the Chickasaw Cultural Center campus.

A 2012 Best New Attraction RedBud Award winner, the Chickasaw Cultural Center, located in Sulphur, is just one facet of the tribe’s multi-million dollar tourism development in south-central Oklahoma.

The Chickasaw Nation was also honored with a RedBud award for Best Social Media Campaign. The Social Media site, ChickasawCountry.com, promotes the cultural, nature, recreation and entertainment venues in the 13 counties of the Chickasaw Nation. A travel writer’s adventures throughout Chickasaw Country are chronicled on the site.

ChickasawCountry.com also received a Merit Award was received for Best Website. The website, ChickasawCountry.com promotes tourism for destinations within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation and those outside the territory that are supported by the Chickasaw Nation, such as Remington Park in Oklahoma City.