Eclipse is grand opportunity for regional tourism

Local tourism officials as well as Southeast Missouri State University are preparing for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21.

Thousands are expected to descend upon the region, as Cape Girardeau, Perryville and other locations are located in a narrow band on the map that will give gazers the longest view of the eclipse.

In Cape Girardeau, half of Cape Girardeau's 1,000 hotel rooms have been booked for Aug. 20. The eclipse will start about 11:50 a.m. with total eclipse arriving at 1:15 p.m. or so.

In Perryville, which has been singled out as the best location to view the eclipse to maximize the length of time to see the eclipse, hotel rooms are already booked.

In Cape, where the eclipse will be seen (barring cloud cover) for 1 minute, 45 seconds, there will be a free "watch party" beginning at 11 a.m. at the new SportsPlex. Free glow-in-the-dark T-shirts will be handed out to the first 200 attendees, and disposable glasses will be provided to the first 1,000 visitors. Food trucks will be on hand, as well as a sound system.

The university will host several events, including ones for area schoolchildren. The "SEclipse" will be hosted at Houck Field. There will also be a presentation at the Show Me Center by Michio Kaku, one of the most recognized figures in science. Southeast is also offering eclipse-themed classes this spring, and some of the school's students will participate in an eclipse research project, according to reporting by the Southeast Missourian's Mark Bliss.

In Perry County, the eclipse will be viewable for 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Perry County is expecting as many as 20,000 people. Local businesses are preparing for an influx of visitors.

Local tourism efforts are hoping to make the most of this geological and astronomical phenomenon. It will be lots of fun. So it's not too early to start planning. It would be a good time to invite friends and family from out of town to share in the experience.