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Saint Louis News - "All the news that is Saint Louis"
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  Reuters to Provide SAVVIS With
Up To $45 Million in Financing'No Call' Exceeds 1.1 Million MissouriansLeica Camera, Inc. Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With Support of Rare Civil Rights Photo ExhibitionHardee's Moves Headquarters to St. LouisEnterprise Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Leisure RentalsPatients' Medical Information to be Used for MarketingGov Holden Promotes Technology At Festus Elementary SchoolSmall Towns and Villages Appeal to US TravelersWestin St. Louis Opens at Cupples Station ComplexLamkin Will Succeed Joyner-Kerseeas Sports Commission Chair American Airlines Announces TWA Buyout |
Riverfront Flooded at St. LouisST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), June 10, 2001 - The Mississippi River was expected to crest at 34.7 feet at St. Louis on Sunday, June 10. Flood level is 30 feet. By Friday, the flood gates had been put in place along the riverfront. This is the highest level since the disasterous floods of 1993, when the river crested at 49.6 feet. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the river is expected to drop in the next few days to 29.2 feet at St. Louis. Work on the redecking of the Eads Bridge continues despite the high waters and considerable debris. The photo at right shows Washington Avenue along the Eads Bridge leading to the Lenore K. Sullivan Boulevard, now under several feet of muddy water. Saturday's 5K course for the Susan B. Koman Race for the Cure® was moved from the Lenore K. Sullivan Boulevard to Busch Stadium. The river level at Grafton was expected to reach 24.6 feet. Flood level is 18 feet. The level at Cape Girardeau is expected to reach 38.3 feet on Wednesday. Last December, the President Casino on the Admiral moved up the Mississippi River to a new location in the Laclede's Landing area of downtown Saint Louis (about 1,000 feet or so). This relatively short move of about 1,000 feet was made so that the facility would be less susceptible to flooding. The Casino is has remained open for business during the flooding.  Tourism Season Has Dramatic Impact on St. Louis Area Economy by Betty Magrath, SLFP.com ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), May 27, 2001 - Although a softening economy and high gas prices are in the headlines and on the minds of travelers, the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) is forecasting a slight increase in travel for the 2001 summer season. According to TIA's Summer 2001 Travelometer, Americans will take more than 230 million person-trips during June, July and August 2001, up less than one percent over last summer. On May 23, Missouri Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell officially kicked off the summer tourism season with a six-city fly-around. Maxwell, traveling with representatives of the Missouri Tourism Commission, appeared in Hannibal, Rock Port, St. Joseph, Joplin, Springfield, New Madrid and Cape Girardeau, and challenged members of Missouri's tourism industry to top last year's all-time record of 35.2 million visitors.
"Missouri is located in the center of the country, with an abundance of affordable family attractions within easy driving distance," said Maxwell, noting that higher fuel prices may actually benefit Missouri tourism destinations as families seek vacation opportunities closer to home. Tourism is one of Missouri's three largest industries, generating more than $12.9 billion for the state's economy and one of every 14 Missouri jobs.
Americans will be taking shorter trips this summer, intending to stay away an average of 8.3 nights on their longest pleasure trip, down from an average of about 10 nights last summer. Interestingly, however, they plan to spend more money on their longest pleasure trip this summer compared to last ($1,172 vs. $965). According to the ITA survey, going to the beach or a lake continues to be the number one summer activity for travelers, with 78 percent planning on doing so. Other popular planned summer activities are: visiting friends and relatives (78%), visiting a city (69%), attending cultural events (42%), visiting a historic site (42%), going fishing (41%), camp/hike/climb (40%), visiting a theme park (40%), going to a gambling casino (26%), attending a family reunion (25%), traveling in an RV (20%), staying in an all-inclusive resort (19%) or taking a cruise (11%). As usual, most summer trips will be by auto/truck/RV (75%). Twenty-two percent will be by airplane and 2 percent will be by bus or other form of transportation. That could be good news for tourism bureaus who must match state grants with contributions from towns, cities, counties, attractions and other related businesses. "Consumers are becoming more sensitive to economic fluctuations and rising gas prices and this has encouraged some to modify their summer vacation plans. Consumer spending patterns, however, remain strong and above expectations. We expect this to spill over into the travel arena as well," said Dr. Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the Travel Industry Association of America. "The challenge lies with the industry to package the travel product to stimulate demand among consumers interested in economizing and getting the best deal possible for their travel dollars." At a recent press conference at the Crown Hotel in East St. Louis prior to National Tourism Week, local and regional officials joined members of the tourism industry to discuss the demands on Illinois' tourism dollars. "In recent years, the state and local governments have seen huge growth in the tourism dollars they have available, but this very growth has attracted cities and other organizations to attempt to use the funds for non-tourism related projects, ranging from the construction of city halls to beefing up police forces," noted Mark Westhoff, president and CEO of Southwestern Illinois Tourism and Convention Bureau. Approximately 50 percent of the bureau's budget comes from the annual state grant. Craig Travers, general manager of the Casino Queen, acknowledged that the partnership with the Tourism Bureau has enabled the facility to reach much deeper into Illinois and attract customers that otherwise wouldn't know about the gaming facility. The Casino Queen, located on the East St. Louis Riverfront, features an RV park and the Crown Hotel. Southwestern Illinois is the second largest metropolitan area in the state with a population of more than 667,000. Tourism, according to Westhoff is the second largest industry in the area, second only to health care. He noted that Carlyle Lake, the largest manmade lake within Illinois, attracts over 4 million tourists every year, more than the St. Louis Gateway Arch. St. Clair Square Shopping Center area in Fairview Heights, Illinois attracts more than 20 million people a year. Other attractions include the Gateway International Raceway, Cahokia Mounds and Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. The Southwestern Illinois Tourism and Convention Bureau, with a budget of $900,000, has more than $670 return in economic impact for every dollar the bureau spends, one of the highest in the state. With a budget of over $12.2 million, St. Louis has a return of about $125 for every dollar they spend on tourism.
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