BROKEN BOW, OK -- Many residents are spending their spring brea on the lake in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Tourism officials say they see hundreds of families this time of year. They say the influx of tourists drastically increases tax revenue for McCurtain County. Rita Kotey reports.

This time of year, McCurtain County Tourism President David Smulyan says bring on the tourists. Broken Bow, Oklahoma is home to many attractions including Beavers Bend Resort.

"We are completely full," said Smulyan.

"When we were checking in to our hotel every place was booked there were last minute people trying to get rooms and get cabins and their was no vacancy at all," said Dana Hollowell.

Dana Hollowell and her family were finally able to find a place to stay for the night and a spot on the lake to fish.

"My son really enjoyed the fly fishing we live on Texoma and we are used to the striper and the blue cat and he had never been fishing for trout before so he caught six trout so he was very happy," said Hollowell.

"This is a place that my family has come to a lot and they wanted us to experience it with them," said Erin Goldmon.
ERIN GOLDMON CAME FROM MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI TO SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY ON THE LAKE..SHE ALONG WITH LAINE WEATHERFORD.. A FREQUENT VISITOR... SAY ITS NICE TO GET AWAY FROM THE CITY AND GET OUT ON THE WATER.
"its very pretty and very relaxing
"i like to do the ki-yaking and the paddle boats (laine weatherford)

SMULYAN SAYS AS TOURISTS ARE ENJOYING THE LAKE AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS.. THEY ARE BRINGING MORE MONEY TO THE COUNTY...TOTALING ABOUT 40- MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

" if you take our population and the average incomes and you look at our sales tax revenue you will see that theres a huge discrepancy threes no way that that amount of shopping is done by the locals so we know those added percentages are strictly from the tourists."
HE SAYS THE NEXT GROUP OF TOURISTS SHOULD COME FOR THE SUMMER...
AND THEY ARE ALREADY GETTING THE PADDLE BOATS READY.
AT BEAVERS BEND RESORT..RITA KOTEY..FIRST NEWS.

[TAKE PKG] {+++TAKE PKG+++}
[CG: SPRING BREAK/BROKEN BOW, OKLAHOMA]
[TRT 1:40] [OC: STANDARD]
[CG: DAVID SMULYAN/MCCURTAIN COUNTY TOURISM] [IN 0:12] [OUT 0:14]
[CG:DANA HOLLOWELL/BEAVERS BEND TOURIST] [IN 0:15] [OUT 0:26]
[CG:ERIN GOLDMON/BEAVERS BEND TOURIST ][IN:0:46 ] [OUT 0:50]
[CG: LAINE WEATHERFORD/BEAVERS BEND TOURIST] [IN:1:03 ] [OUT 1:06]
[CG: RITA KOTEY/RITA.KOTEY@KXII.COM]