Group travel aside, Springfield tourism rising

What’s the biggest tourist attraction in the Queen City? Bass Pro Shops brings in roughly 4 million visitors annually, according to a company spokeswoman. Verified through laser counters at the grand entrance and turnstiles at the Cherokee Street entrance, the store also brings in visitors from all 50 states each month.

Springfield tourism is growing. According to the Missouri Division of Tourism, Show-Me State travel was a $14.6 billion industry in fiscal 2013, the latest statewide information available. Of that, about 19 percent, or $2.8 billion, in economic impact came from southwest Missouri and about $700 million from Greene County. To the south, Taney County, home to Branson, brought in $1.2 billion in fiscal 2013.

“The economy plays a big part in the growth,” said Susan Wade, public relations manager for the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It may seem like common sense, but when gas prices are low, people aren’t as cautious. They are more willing to get in their car and travel.”

In 2014, travelers in Springfield occupied 1.22 million hotel rooms, up from a 2009 post-recession room demand low of 1.09 million. Wade said the city is on track to surpass projections.

According to the latest data from the CVB, room sales were $9.9 million in June, a 9.5 percent increase over last year. The latest data show room sales through June at $49 million, representing a 9.6 percent bump from the first six months of 2014. However, the occupancy rate inched down a tenth of a point to 69.6 in June.

Despite a full slate of events on the CVB calendar, including 24 events and some 48,000 expected visitors, the city’s group travel continues to decline, according to a CVB report. In 2000, group rooms accounted for 22.7 percent of all occupied rooms in Springfield. In 2014, group rooms decreased 38 percent and accounted for only 13.9 percent of total occupied rooms.

A staple in Springfield for nearly a decade, the National Christian Homeschool Championships again plans multiple events this October. Kevin Dodd, director for volleyball nationals, said after years in Oklahoma City, Springfield offered an ideal location for the national basketball and volleyball tournaments.

“Springfield is so centrally located, it opened us up to other parts of the country,” he said. “We saw attendance increase from the north and east after the move.”

The sixth year for the volleyball tournament in Springfield, Dodd said it wouldn’t be possible without multiple gyms so close together in town.

The Fieldhouse Sports Center Director of Operations Stacie Wells said the 78 expected teams for this year’s tournament use a considerable amount of space, but they also bring dollars to local vendors.

“We have to bring on extra staff that weekend, but so do the businesses around us,” she said. “We call the restaurants and things around us to let them know a tournament is coming. The demand is huge and they need extra staff to cover.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 19,000 people are employed in hospitality and leisure positions in Springfield.

Wade said business and leisure travel also are big parts of the equation. While the average convention goer spends $150 a day conservatively, Wade said the average group – such as a family of four – spends $550 a weekend when traveling. Dodd said most home-school families – usually with multiple children in tow – treat the tournament like a family vacation, spending more than the average trip.

“Roughly 2,500 people are going to spend four days here this October,” he said. “They have money to spend and Springfield is the family-friendly place to do it.”