Tourism means business for Missouri and its cities, officials say as National Travel and Tourism Week begins Sunday.
This year's theme, "Travel is...," was chosen to reflect the economic impact travel and tourism have on the United States.
Missouri ranks in the top 15 states for visitation, according to the Missouri Division of Tourism. Top reasons people come to Missouri include shopping, unique dining experiences, sightseeing and attractions or events.
The visitor profile study conducted by the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau also found 60.4 percent of travelers to Jefferson City came for a leisure trip and the top items on their itinerary included a visit to the Missouri State Capitol, a Missouri State Penitentiary tour, Central Dairy ice cream and the annual Salute to America Celebration.
In 2014, the travel industry supported 15 million jobs, 8 million directly in the travel industry and 7 million in other industries, ranking it among the largest private-sector employers in the United States. According to the Missouri Division of Tourism's annual report, 290,734 Missourians were directly employed by tourism business in fiscal year 2014, with 3,881 employed in Cole County. The money spent by travelers visiting the community helps local businesses hire employees and pay their salaries.
According to the report, approximately 39 million people visited Missouri in fiscal year 2014. This resulted in a total economic impact of $15.3 billion.
Roughly $134,293,305 total expenditures took place in Cole County in 17 tourism-related standard industry classification codes including items such as dining, hotels, sports, recreation, attractions and more.
A study conducted by the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau found the average overnight visitor to Jefferson City spent approximately $139.