1998 pivotal in deciding fate of tourism industry

by Clarissa A. French

SBJ Staff

Springfield probably won't see much change in its travel and tourism numbers in 1998, but that doesn't mean 1998 won't be a pivotal year for the city's visitor industry, according to Tracy Kimberlin, director of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"In 1998 there is nothing that is going to happen more important than the election Feb. 3," Kimberlin said, regarding the upcoming referendum on the city's 2 1/2 cent raise in the hotel and motel room tax.

Whatever happens in the first week of February won't have much impact this year, but it will have a major impact, one way or another, on the future of travel and tourism in Springfield, he added.

For the last two or three years, growth has been flat in overnight travel, which is also reflected in the city's stagnant sales tax collections, Kimberlin said.

In the new year, Springfield will continue as a venue for youth sports tournaments, and regional and statewide meetings and conventions, but most of the visitors in those categories will represent return business as opposed to new business, Kimberlin said.

In terms of attracting new business, he added, 1998 is looking a lot like 1997. That isn't to say someone won't come in tomorrow and say they want to hold a major event in Springfield, he said, but it's not something the CVB is counting on.

Springfield has approximately 1.1 million overnight visitors per year, a number which has been flat for the last two to three years, Kimberlin said. About 40 percent of those visitors are business travelers, around 30 percent are tourists, about 20 percent are here for meetings or conventions and the remaining 10 percent represents a miscellaneous assortment of travelers, including people who are here visiting family.

However, looking even further ahead, 1999 will offer some promising new events that could be a shot in the arm for the industry. One such event is the AAU girls 12 and under national basketball championships, slated for July 1999. Another attraction, "an even bigger event," is also slated for July 1999, but the CVB is not yet ready to announce the details, he said.

Regarding the all-important Feb. 3 ballot, Kimberlin said, a "no" vote will have a major impact on the industry's fate for the next few years. If voters turn down the measure, the result will be "a number of years of negligible growth," similar to what the city has experienced in the recent past, Kimberlin said.

"There has to be something else to attract people to stay here ... and there are no plans (for that) but what's on the Feb. 3 ballot," he said.

Meanwhile, Kimberlin said, he has his fingers crossed for lower airfares in the new year, as the high cost of flying via the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport deters travelers from booking flights into and out of the city.

Also on Kimberlin's wish list for the airport in the new year is the addition of jet service to Chicago.

According to Leigh Branson-Daniels, marketing and communications director for the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport, American Airlines is seeking an additional slot in Chicago. If it receives that slot, Springfield is one of the candidates for American's jet service to Chicago. However, the decision on whether American gets another slot in Chicago is up to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Meanwhile, Branson-Daniels said, the airport will continue to pursue air-service enhancements, including new carriers and improved services. Also, several carriers that use Springfield-Branson Regional Airport are in the process of updating equipment and totally revamping their planes, she said.

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