| JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Dec. 16, 1999 - More than 34.4 million people
visited Missouri in fiscal year 1999, generating more than $12.6 billion
for the state�s economy, according to a report released by the Missouri
Division of Tourism.
Both numbers represent significant increases compared to previous fiscal
years, with visitation increasing 6.1 percent from FY95 and the economic
impact increasing 5.4 percent from FY98.
According to the report, Economic Impact of Missouri�s Tourism and Travel
Industry: Annual Report, July 1998-June 1999 -- drafted by the University
of Missouri Research and Development Center�direct tourism and travel expenditures
accounted for $5.6 billion (up 6.2 percent vs. FY98), created 206,796 tourism
industry-related jobs (up 3.8 percent) and generated $574.5 million in
state tax revenues (an increase of 8.7 percent). About 70 percent of all
domestic visitors to Missouri originate from out-of-state.
�This report tells us that we�re on the right track with tourism promotion
in Missouri,� says Lt. Governor Roger B. Wilson, who chairs the Missouri
Tourism Commission. �The folks in the tourism industry are some of the
hardest working people anywhere, and these numbers bear this out.� |
