Missouri is a diverse state with vibrant metropolitan experiences, charming small towns and rural communities where tourism is a big economic driver. In Missouri, there are 89 state parks and historic sites set amid endless forests, lakes, rivers, streams and trails. According to the Missouri Division of Tourism, we welcomed more than 42.9 million visitors in Fiscal Year 2019. During that same year, Missouri’s tourism industry had a $17.7 billion effect on our state’s economy. Lakes, rivers and dense woods are in our backyards, easy to access and there for our pleasure. I believe our culture is so intertwined with the natural bounty surrounding us that we sometimes take what it offers for granted or lose sight of tourism’s importance to our state. As we start to slowly emerge from the coronavirus, I challenge you to see the value of our forests because of the trees, and appreciate the hues of green that add greenbacks to our economy.
It’s not surprising that our state thrives on travel. “Missouri” means “wooden canoe people” in Sioux translations, and the Mississippi and its muddy banks and tall bluffs wind for 2,320 miles from the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota to New Orleans. Since the General Assembly created the Missouri Division of Tourism (MDT) in 1967, I believe our state has grown to be one of the Midwest’s premier travel destinations.
The tourism industry got another major boost in 1993 through the establishment of the Division of Tourism Supplemental Revenue Fund. Through this fund, a percentage of tourism-generated tax revenue is set aside for the promotion and marketing of Missouri’s tourism industry. According to MDT, this fund grew from $6 million in 1993 to a high of $22 million in Fiscal Year 2015. Their 2019 Annual Report states for every dollar invested in MDT’s budget, $76 is received in visitor expenditures to our local businesses. Additionally, an average of $290 per person is spent for every overnight trip in Missouri.
For the Fiscal Year 2021 state budget, the governor is recommending $20,612,543 for tourism, or 8.5% of the total appropriation to the Department of Economic Development. In the grand scheme of things, I believe this investment provides an outstanding return for our state. As a former business owner, I know from experience that very few industries enjoy such returns. Tourism really is our “cash cow” because we just give it a place to be, nourish it with a smidge of marketing and let nature run its course. According to a report issued by MDT in 2017, “tourism expenditures are increased by more than $92 for every dollar that the State of Missouri invests in tourism marketing”. I am no math whiz, but that sounds like a sound investment to me!
From my perspective, the road to recovery for tourism may be a little bumpy this year in wake of the pandemic. Because of its funding mechanism, this industry is not immune to COVID-19 related shortfalls. Hotels and restaurants that make their living on tourists and contribute to the sales tax proceeds that fund MDT have had to be closed and miss out on months of business. In their year-end report for Fiscal Year 2019, MDT states that almost half of the visitors to our tourist destinations were Missourians. As we recover from the coronavirus, I believe Missourians will stay close to home when it comes to their travel plans for the remainder of the year.
I encourage everyone to visit our district’s newest state park, Echo Bluff, a year-round outdoor destination north of Eminence in Shannon County. Echo Bluff offers floating, hiking, fishing, lodging, camping and dining, and the park is a beautiful get-a-way for anyone who loves the outdoors. In 2018, the park hosted over 320,000 visitors on its 476 wooded acres. In addition to this great venue, it is always fun to float, boat, swim and camp on the Current River and Jacks Fork River. The small towns of Doniphan, Eminence and Van Buren have excellent lodging, dining, camping and float trips available. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the magnificent Bootheel with all of its interesting topography, Crowley’s Ridge peach orchards, fertile farmland, waterfowl hunting, the great Mississippi River towns and county festivals.
Encyclopedia Britannica defines tourism as “the act and process of spending time away from home in pursuit of recreation, relaxation, and pleasure…” As our state moves forward, I am hopeful the summer months will encourage Missourians to visit many of our state’s tourist destinations. I am looking forward to seeing our businesses that depend on tourism get busy. Watching people come to Missouri and appreciate our natural assets that make up our state’s beautiful landscape is always exciting. Check out www.VisitMO.com to see how our great state is marketing itself to the world.
It is an honor serving the great people of southeast Missouri. Please call (573) 751-4843 or email doug.libla@senate.mo.gov to share your concerns and ideas.