June events bring positive economic effect to Cape

Summer is shaping up well on the visitor front for the city of Cape Girardeau -- based on, at least in part, three major events taking place during June that almost are certain to produce extra economic activity.

Ongoing this week is the American Junior Golf Association's Rolex Girls Junior Championship, a four-day event at Dalhousie Golf Club. The tournament brings to town more than 70 participating golfers and their families, coaches, officials and association representatives.

The Great Race will stop June 25 in Cape Girardeau and drivers and navigators of more than 90 cars will stay overnight during the fourth leg of a nine-day event that takes vintage cars through three Missouri towns in a precision driving race.

Later the same week, on June 28 and 29, is the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival. Organizers expect a turnout of between 8,000 and 10,000 people for the historically popular air show that is returning after a two-year absence.

"All of these different things certainly bring economic impact to the community," said Chuck Martin, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, who coordinates scheduling and promotion of the events with hosts, participants, hotels and other affected businesses.

Volunteers Mavis Parker, 17, left, and Millie Ross, 17, talk while having lunch during the Rolex Girls Junior Championship Wednesday, June 12, at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau. Lunch from Jimmy Johns was provided for volunteers at the tournament. (Adam Vogler)

The convention and visitors bureau produces figures that tie the events to benefits for the local economy. For the AJGA tournament, the bureau projects an average daily expenditure of $150 per person, with $45 going toward lodging, $35 for food, $20 on gasoline and $50 worth of miscellaneous spending. Total overnight guests for the event is projected at 700, which means the direct economic effect should be around $105,000, according to the bureau.

Mayor Harry Rediger also recently has said "single destination events," such as the three in June, are an economic driver for the region, and are becoming more and more important in growing status.

Martin called the golf tournament a "classic example overall" of an event that promotes Cape Girardeau as a regional destination and brings in dollars.

"It is heads in beds, it is people eating in our restaurants and taking advantage of shopping," Martin said. "And there is also the tremendous advantage of the public relations bump."

The tournament brings to Cape Girardeau visitors from around the globe -- golfers participating hail from across the United States and 10 foreign countries.

"It truly is exposure for our community to those from throughout the world," Martin said.

Local businesses, such as HealthPoint Fitness, Muy Bueno and Renaissance, were taking advantage of the activity of tournament-goers this week by offering special promotions or discounts, according to Sharon Giebler, a hospitality chairwoman for the tournament.

The June trifecta of events also is expected to directly affect the city's sales tax revenue, in addition to the economic activity that likely will be seen by businesses themselves. The city of Cape Girardeau levies a 1-cent sales tax on all restaurant receipts and a 4-cent sales tax on all hotel stays, which in turn pay off bonds for the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus and funds the activities of the convention and visitors bureau.

In 2009, receipts related to visitor attendance for another AJGA tournament and the Tour of Missouri bicycling race that came through Cape Girardeau bumped up sales tax revenue just enough to keep an annual increase going when the economy took a dive and one large local hotel closed while a replacement was under construction.

The most recent available figures from the city show restaurant tax revenue was up 4.4 percent from last year to $872,679, while hotel/motel tax revenue was up 11.5 percent to $448,554. The city estimates 65 percent to 70 percent of the restaurant tax revenue and up to 95 percent of the hotel/motel tax revenue come from people who live outside Cape Girardeau.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

Dalhousie Golf Club, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Main Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, Cape Girardeau, Mo.