Tourism is up in Joplin, how does it impact the local economy?
'This is our first stop, so we're really looking forward to seeing some of the street painting,' said Sararae Womack, St. Louis Tourist.
Just one of the many points of interest tied to Route 66 that Sararae Womack is visiting during her stop in Joplin.
'We passed a few of the beautiful murals on our way in here. We're looking forward to exploring everything Joplin has to offer,' said Womack.
Sararae is just one of many, many travelers highlighted in a new report detailing the impact of tourism on the Joplin metro area.
There are big numbers, including more than 1.1 million visitors to the metro region in the 12 months leading up to March. It cites 27 hundred jobs connected to tourism spending.
'Jobs that support tourism, from the hotels to the restaurants to the attractions, and that generated another $408 million that were impacted across the board, of salaries, supplies, all kinds of activities,' said Patrick Tuttle, Joplin CVB Dir.
Joplin's CVB director points to a five-year comparison, which includes a couple of devastating COVID years.
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'We took quite a dive during the COVID years, and a lot of communities are getting back this year, being the fifth year after we got back on our feet two years ago. So we recovered pretty quickly,' said Tuttle.
He says there are a variety of reasons tourists come to the area, but adds the Mother Road is one of the biggest factors, and specifically how travelers are choosing to enjoy that blast from the past.
'Pre-COVID. I would say the international traveler would see all of Missouri Route 66 in probably two days. And you and I would probably do it one day. Now we're seeing three to five days. People are slowing down. They're taking their time,' said Tuttle.
A state-by-state breakdown shows that the biggest number of travelers comes from other parts of Missouri and Kansas… while there are also significant totals from Texas, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
Including Charlie Weddle, who's in town for a few days. He's been here before and says he'll be back again.
'It's a really great town. I love it here,' said Charlie Weddle, Wichita Traveler.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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