TOURISM: BIG BUCKS FOR MISSOURI AND THE REGION

Thousands of visitors flock into the Cape Girardeau area each year.

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

The park, named as a memorial to the Eastern Cherokee Indians, who made the "Trail of Tears" migration to Oklahoma in 1838, offers a variety of program throughout the summer. The park and other visitor attractions have helped make Cape Girardeau County the top tourism draw in the River Heritage Region of Southeast Missouri.

Tourism represents big bucks for both the region and state.

More than 34.4 million people visited Missouri during fiscal year 1999, generating more than $12.6 billion in tourism and travel dollars, according to a report released recently by the Missouri Division of Tourism.

Both numbers represented significant increases over previous highs. Visitation is up 6.1 percent from the previous high and the economic impact rose 5.4 percent from the previous record of $12.3 million.

Studies show the tourism and travel industry has been "on the grow" over the past few years. It has gone from $10.4 billion in 1995 to $12.3 billion in 1997 and 1998.

The industry this year generated more than $574.5 million in state tax revenue and provided more than 206,796 direct jobs.

A study, conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia Tourism Research and Development Center, also reveals the industry's impact on businesses not directly serving tourists.

This "ripple" effect was responsible for an additional 80,000 jobs and added another $6.06 billion to the state's economy. More than 10,000 manufacturing and 4,000 construction jobs were generated by the spending of tourists. And tourism stimulates other non-tourism industries such as agriculture, fishing, food processing, brewing and distilling.

Two tourism regions -- St. Louis and the Branson/Ozark Mountain area -- continue to account for more than 60 percent of the tourism income. Thirty-two percent of the economic impact dollars were spent in the St. Louis area, with 30 percent in the Branson/Ozark area. Throw in the 11 percent from Kansas city, and these three areas account for almost three-fourths of the state's tourism/travel dollars.

But every county in the state realized some benefits. The River Heritage Area, which includes a dozen Southeast Missouri counties, attracted more than $160 million in tourism/travel spending, and provided jobs to more than 3,000 Southeast Missouri residents.

The region includes the counties of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott, Perry, Stoddard, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve.

Tourism is the third largest industry in the United States, and second in Missouri. Nationally, tourism provides more than $430 billion to the U.S. economy, and six billion in direct jobs.

Missouri offers a variety of visitor attractions, ranging from sports to theme parks, zoos to historic sites.

The state has more than 2,000 accommodation facilities providing over 95,000 rooms; 455 campgrounds and 29,000 campsites; 86 state parks; and number of gambling operations, ranging from Caruthersville in the rural Bootheel area to St. Louis and Kansas City.

Cape Girardeau County receives big benefits from the tourism industry.

The city features a number of tourist attractions -- 19th century buildings and homes, the historic downtown district, the Mississippi River, old Lorimier Cemetery and Cape Rock Park, where Jean Baptiste Girardot established his trading post in 1873. A number of events in the area -- arts and crafts extravaganzas, Riverfest, Longhorn Rodeo and Black Forest Village also serve to attract visitors.

Cape Girardeau County travelers spent more than $41 million, generating over 900 jobs and over $12 million in wages and salaries this year.

Visitors to Scott County accounted for more than $21 million to that county's economy, providing over 400 jobs and over $6 million in salaries and wages.

One Scott County community has increased its efforts to attract more tourism to its area. Commerce, a small village founded as trading post known as Zewapeta more than 200 years ago, now has a population of 115. Plans are being made to attract more tourists into town to view boats going up and down the river.

Commerce, later called Tywappity and Tywappity Bottoms before it settled down to the name of Commerce, was a main stopping point for steamers to stock up on wood.

A ferry boat ran from Commerce, across the Mississippi River to Santa Fe, later known as Fayetteville. It was a bustling little community on the Illinois side of the river.

Commerce has its own web page, describing the Commerce Historical and Genealogy Society Museum, a number of old cemeteries containing the names of Commerce pioneers and Civil War soldiers and the River Ridge Winery, located in a century-old house where Crowley's Ridge joins the river just north of Commerce.

Another tourist draw is the Anderson House Bed & Breakfast, restored with period furnishing. A number of events are held each year -- the Floodfest, Crowley's Ridge Rendezvous and a Civil War encampment.

Just south of Commerce, along Interstate 55, is Sikeston and Lambert's Restaurant, "Home of Throwed Rolls," which attracts hundreds of visitors every day.

The restaurant started throwing rolls on May 26, 1976, and have been tossing them to customers ever since, now numbering in the millions.

The restaurant averages 520 dozen rolls a day. Many tour busses scheduled their runs to stop by Lambert's.

Tourist shopping was the number one activity reported by travelers to the state in the latest fiscal year, accounting for 27 percent of the total. Shopping was followed by visits to historical places and museums, outdoor activities, and visits to theme/amusement parks.

The average local tourist spends about $175 per trip in Missouri, while out-of-state tourists averaged $317 per trip.