MAKING THE MOST OF AREA TOURISM

A program that could boost not only Ste. Genevieve's tourist trade but tourism through Southeast Missouri is being considered by Southeast Missouri State University.

The Southeast Regional Tourism Advisory Council has suggested establishing a regional tourism center at the university, and the university likes the idea. The program could help cities better market their tourism attractions, including everything from historic sites to nature areas. It also would offer university students academic credit for tourism services they perform through the center.

Eventually, the school hopes to offer tourism as a separate major. The school is in the process of filling two faculty positions in the area of tourism to get the program rolling.

Southeast Missouri contains a wealth of tourist attractions, and not until recent years have any real efforts to promote them been undertaken. The area's Mississippi River heritage, with its variety of natural and conservation areas are important assets to the region, as well as the area's historic communities. So are the many state parks and federal forests and lake projects.

A tourism center in the heart of the region offering training to students who want to pursue careers in the tourism field would do a lot to attract more visitors to the region and spread the word that Southeast Missouri has a lot to offer.