Tourism Update

Tourism in Missouri

Although Missouri is not one of the top 10 destination states for visitors, more than 35.2 million people visited the Show Me State during the past fiscal year.

The year was a record one for state tourism, according to a recent report, "Economic Impact of Missouri's Tourism and Travel Industry: July 1999-June 2000."

Some of the statistics:

Tourism is a $12.9 billion industry in the state, up from $12.6 billion a year ago.

Seventy-one percent of the travelers were from out of state.

Tourism created more than 211,000 jobs in the state.

Over $607 million in tax revenues were generated by tourism.

The average travel party to Missouri consists of 1.83 people, spending an average of $303.20 per travel party, or $165.90 per person. Both of these numbers are new all-time highs, says Chris Jennings, Missouri's tourism director.

Tourism in Cape Girardeau

Thousands of visitors flock into the Cape Girardeau area each year. One of the top tourist attractions is the 3,307-acre Trail of Tears State Park, 12 miles north of the city. More than a quarter-million visitors head for the park annually for camping, hiking, picnicking, boating and swimming.

A record year is expected for the Cape Girardeau area.

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau reported a successful 2000 visitor season and was well over those 2000 visitor totals during first nine months of the current fiscal year. Tour bus bookings bring in more than 4,000 visitors a year, and annual riverboat-docking schedules account for another 4,000-plus visitors, say CVB officials.

The River Explorer, a river barge hotel, has already docked here twice this summer.

The Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen will stop in Cape in July, en route to St. Louis for the final leg of the annual Fourth of July steamboat race from New Orleans to St. Louis.

In Missouri, tourism is the second-largest revenue-producing industry. Nationally, travel and tourism have become America's largest service export, one of the nation's largest employers and America's third-largest retail sales industry, listed only behind automotive dealers and food stores.

Tourism in Illinois

Although high gas prices may be a factor this year, another robust summer travel season is expected for Illinois.

Spending on travel and tourism in Illinois hit a record level of more than $23.5 billion last year.

Domestic travelers to Illinois account for more than 310,000 Illinois jobs that generate $7.2 billion in payroll income. Overall tax revenues generated by domestic tourism were up the past year, to $4.28 billion. Domestic travelers spent nearly $20.4 billion in Illinois last year while the remaining $1.65 billion came from overseas travelers.