Higher fuel prices are being blamed in part for Missouri's tourism industry remaining flat through the first six months of the year. Dee Ann McKinney, research administrator for the Missouri Division of Tourism, said higher gas prices have put a crimp in weekend and out-of-state visitors, which in turn means fewer meals purchased at restaurants, fewer nights spent in hotels and less spending in stores.
Hotel occupancy rates statewide were up less than 1 percent, but the number of people using the state's visitor hot line and Web site for maps and other tourism information fell 30.2 percent.
Problems around the state haven't appeared to affect Branson, however. Even with higher gas prices, Branson businesses are enjoying a prosperous year, said city spokesman Jerry Adams. For the fiscal year from October through May, sales tax revenue is up 2 percent over the same period last year, Adams said. Tourism tax — revenue collected from restaurants, hotels, theaters and attractions — is up 4 percent, Adams said.
April's revenue was boosted with the opening of a Target, Home Deport and TJ Maxx, Adams said. Visitors also arrived for the April opening of "Titanic: The Legend Continues," a new 17,000-square-foot interactive museum with a collection of more than 400 Titanic artifacts.
In May, the $420 million Branson Landing lifestyle center opened on the downtown lakefront. About 70 percent of the 100 shops and restaurants are now open with more opening every week. In October, a new Hilton Hotel will open at Branson Landing.
"We think the momentum will continue into the summer months," Adams said. "We have not seen a slowdown at all."
Tourism in Missouri generates $13.4 billion a year for the state economy.
McKinney said the struggle to attract visitors in some areas hasn't been helped by the legislature's decision last year to cut the tourism budget, resulting in less advertising being directed toward in-state travelers and tourists across the Midwest.
"That's a big deal," she said, adding that the cuts mostly affected in-state advertising. Through June, the Division of Tourism spent $3.8 million on radio ads and newspaper inserts, compared with $4 million a year ago.
Lawmakers this year agreed to restore the funding, and then some. The division's budget has grown from $14.2 million last year to $17.8 million this year, which could push Missouri to No. 7 among states in terms of how aggressively they market themselves.
Missouri had at one time been No. 8 on the list but fell to No. 14 last year.
Information courtesy of Springfield News-Leader