Weak dollar, Route 66 lure foreign tourists to Oklahoma
Some groups spend $8,000 per night

BY SHEILA STOGSDILL Comments 0
Published: January 4, 2009

Gustav Vestrik, touring Route 66 with 10 fellow tourists from Norway in June 2007, snaps a photo of new friends James Brown and Christina Trujillo, a couple from Hawaii. photo BY STEVE LACKMEYER, oklahoman ARCHIVE

MIAMI, OK — The lure of the legendary stretch of highway from Chicago to Los Angeles is bringing foreign motorcyclists and other tourists and their money to local businesses.

Multimedia

Photoview all photos

More Info

Oklahoma City will host a worldwide gathering of Harley-Davidson owners June 26 and 27 in Bricktown.

Route 66 is not only a favorite of American baby boomers driving their convertible Mustangs, but also for foreign tourists.

"This year the overseas tourists are taking advantage of a weak U.S. dollar,” said Amanda Davis, Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau program director."It’s a huge deal.”

Foreign tourists are fascinated by cowboys and American Indians and Oklahoma, she said.

Davis said a big draw to Oklahoma for Route 66 lovers is the 426 drivable miles of the highway.

Popular Oklahoma stops along Route 66 include the Blue Whale in Catoosa, the Coleman Theatre and Waylan’s Ku-Ku Hamburgers in Miami, the Totem Pole in Foyil and POPS in Arcadia.

Davis said motorcycle tour groups spend between 30 and 45 days driving Route 66, including 15 nights in Oklahoma. Those groups spend money in every community in which they stop, she said.

"In Miami, we had 35 groups stop by last year, and that’s not counting the groups that stop real early in the morning or late in the afternoon,” Davis said.

Most groups’ average 40 riders and may spend as much as $8,000 during an overnight stay, she said.

"They go crazy for the 50-cent Route 66 key chains,” Davis said.

"It’s like you gave them the world. They eat up the nostalgia stuff.”

In Miami, groups often visit the Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum, which displays a collection of Steve McQueen’s racing motorcycles, his racing trophies and memorabilia.

"We’ve had people all over the world ... come into our store,” said Cheri Balais, Chicago Harley-Davidson representative.