PLENTY OF VISITORS

When compared to some other parts of Missouri -- the Branson region readily comes to mind -- the Cape Girardeau area falls short of being known as a tourist mecca. But Cape Girardeau and Jackson are drawing upwards of 400,000 visitors a year for a variety of reasons that include a growing number of conventions, concerts, shows and trade fairs.

That is a respectable number of visitors to Cape Girardeau County, considering there isn't what can be considered one major attraction that people come here to see.

Instead, many visit Cape Girardeau for its historical value. Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau officials say historic cemeteries attract visitors' attention, particularly those who are interested in genealogy. Cape Girardeau also has the historic Glenn House and the Oliver House in Jackson. They are both open to tours.

Those of us who live along the Mississippi River sometimes forget it a unique attraction all by itself. It is surprising how many people from other parts of the country are attracted to Cape Girardeau because the city sits on the river. On just about any day of the year visitors can be seen at Riverfront Park downtown. The park offers a panoramic view of Old Man River and a look at large barge tows passing by..

Cape Girardeau and Jackson have a number of attractive parks that are heavily used by visitors. At the entrance to both cities -- the Interstate 55-Highway 61 interchange -- are the spacious North and South Cape County parks. And both cities have their own parks that serve to host a number of family reunions and church and civic gathers that attract out-of-towners.

Because of its river location, Cape Girardeau launched its Riverfest celebration a few years ago. It has turned out to be a big success every year since. Riverfest is held on the waterfront and downtown streets and attracts tens of thousands of people during its two-day run.

For well over a century the Southeast Missouri District Fair has been a major draw, attracting 100,000 people or more each September. Its weeklong run is probably the biggest single event that brings people to Cape Girardeau.

Bus tours bring many visitors to the city, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau has done a good job of attracting them. The tours take in historic homes and other points of interest, including the Black Forest, which features two 19th century-style villages. Just north of town, the Black Forest also is open to the public during special festivals that are held there periodically.

The Show Me Center has been responsible for bringing a lot of visitors to town during its first decade of operation. It is the home of numerous conventions, concerts and other events like trade shows. Southeast Missouri State University men's and women's basketball games are played there. Sporting-events attendance isn't included in the 400,000 visitors the Convention and Tourism Bureau says come here annually. If it were, it would add a lot to the total, considering the number of basketball games played that are attended by fans of visiting schools from across Kentucky and Tennessee.

So large has been attendance at a few of the state conventions held here that the city's motels have been unable to accommodate everyone. On those occasions people have had to find rooms in nearby communities. Those are exceptions, however. At any other time, there are plenty of motel rooms available.

The Cape Girardeau-Jackson region can take pride in what it has to offer visitors. Not only do motels and restaurants benefit from their visits, but so does every retail business in the county. Tourists spend money, and all of us who live and work here can appreciate the fact that they choose to visit the area.