Springfield a ‘bucket list’ stop for international Route 66 travelers

If recent weeks are any indication, visitors to the History Museum on the Square may hear an abundance of other languages spoken as they visit the Route 66 exhibit.

“We’ve seen an uptick in international travelers,” said Sean FitzGibbons, executive director of the museum at 154 Park Central Square. “If this first month is a sign for the future, the next 18 months, we’re looking forward to welcoming tons and tons of international travelers coming through Springfield on Route 66.”

At the Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center, open during business hours Monday through Friday, visitors from the following countries stopped by April 13-17: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.

Dana Maugans, vice president of sales for Visit Springfield, Missouri, said it is not uncommon to see visitors from Italy or anywhere in the United Kingdom and there has recently been an increase in travelers from India.

“What’s interesting for me, because I’ve been working in this market for a while, is local people have no idea that we get so many international travelers,” she said.

Maugans said international visitors, especially those driving Route 66, rarely require special accommodations and most are seasoned travelers.

She said they bring money into the Springfield area because they stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, visit attractions, and buy souvenirs.

“There are international travelers every day on Route 66 that love to stop in Springfield,” she said. “It’s a real bucket list for a lot of those folks.”

Maugans said Route 66 may be the reason their trip includes Springfield but local history, from the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield or the 1865 shootout involving Wild Bill Hickok on Park Central Square, is also a draw.

“They want to know the stories. They want to know the authenticity, like where to stay along the route, dining options, things like that or things off the beaten path, to extend their stay,” she said.

Asked if the spending patterns of international travelers is different, Maugans said it was unclear because it heavily depends on individual interests. For example, she said some may go to the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium while others will buy tickets to see the Springfield Cardinals play.

Two years ago, the History Museum partnered with NaviLens – a free phone app – to help visitors, especially the visually impaired, navigate the collections, according to past reporting.

The tool improves accessibility for the visually impaired and translates information into more than 30 languages.

FitzGibbons said museum visitors have been from all over the globe. He said international visitors seeking out Route 66 artifacts have been “mostly from Europe” but not entirely.

“If we were to pick two specific countries that were kind of surprising in the number of visitors that we have seen, there have been a lot from Germany and a lot from Japan coming through,” he said.

FitzGibbons said Route 66 provides access to a wide range of places and the ability to find common threads.

“They get to see these very unique communities from small towns to some of the biggest cities,” he said.

In preparation for Springfield’s Route 66 centennial celebration, a sign welcoming international visitors in different languages was installed at the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

“Being the Birthplace of Route 66 carries a lot of benefits that probably people who live here every day don’t always recognize,” said Matt Morrow, president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. “We have significant international travel that comes through our community every single year, all year long, specifically because of the international fascination with Route 66.”

Morrow said the visitors give residents a chance to evaluate the history and amenities of their community.

“It should be a source of pride for people who live here. It should be something that we hopefully recognize as very special about Springfield,” he said. “At the same time, when we see other people come to our community and marvel at it, it gives us a fresh set of eyes to look at ourselves.”