Visitors

Over the past five years, drawing visitors to Cape Girardeau has become easier as a result of nearly a dozen new or upgraded attractions and better transportation, Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau director Chuck Martin told a group of business leaders Friday.

In his presentation to the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee gathering, Martin said the proof of local drawing power can be found in the rising tax revenue from hotel and restaurant sales. During the year ended June 30, Martin said, revenue from those taxes show dramatic increases in the past five years.

Cape Girardeau imposes a 4 percent tax on hotel rooms. Revenue from the tax increased 29 percent since 2002, to $563,949. That translates into $14.1 million in revenue for the hotels, he said.

And the 1 percent tax on restaurant sales has grown even more, he said. The total exceeded $1 million, a 33 percent increase since 2002, which means restaurants took in $103 million during the most recent fiscal year.

One big improvement is the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, which made travel from the east more comfortable, he said. "It has been a great boon to the community."

Improved or added attractions include:

• The "Mississippi River Tales" mural, with the interpretive signs giving details of each image. "The wonderful thing about an attraction like this is that it lets a visitor go through at their own pace," Martin said.
• The Red House Interpretive Center, which Martin said drew 3,000 visitors in the past year.
• The restored Fort D, a Civil War outpost that has an annual "Fort D Days" event.
• The old Mississippi River bridge overlook, which was recently completed.
• A vibrant riverfront district that has distinctive restaurants and shops and a growing residential sector.

New attractions that should allow the growth to continue include the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus and the Discovery Playhouse children's museum, Martin said.

The CVB is working to promote the city with a new sales video that was presented to the chamber group as well as an audio presentation that gives information about attractions in town that users can download into an iPod or other mp3 device, Martin said. "More and more people want to do things at their own pace," he said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126