Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
Tourism means big business. That was the message that a panel of professionals presented Friday, March 17, at a meeting of the Congressional Forum at Children’s Mercy Park.
About 75 persons attended the luncheon. The Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors the forum.
The panelists included Bridgette Jobe, Kansas City, Kansas, Convention and Visitors Bureau; Kathy Nelson, Kansas City Sports Commission; CiCi Rojas, Visit KC; and Craig Gaffney, Chamber of Commerce chairman.
More than 25 million visitors come to Greater Kansas City each year. Of those, more than 10 million come to Wyandotte County. One in every 20 persons employed in Greater Kansas City works directly or indirectly in tourism.
These visitors have a $5.5 billion annual effect on the Greater Kansas City economy. During 2016, more than 334,000 meetings were held in Greater Kansas City, generating more than 325,000 hotel room nights.
The typical visitor who comes to Kansas City, Missouri, is a business person whereas the typical visitor who comes to Kansas City, Kansas, is a leisure traveler. Village West, with major retailers such as Cabela’s and Nebraska Furniture Mart and stores in the Legends Outlet, are major attractors for these leisure travelers.
Jobe said that tourism in Wyandotte County drops off during the winter months; however, during other months, Village West hotels are either near or at capacity. She said plans call for activities that would attract more visitors during slower months.
The American Royal has announced plans to move from the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri, to Village West. Specifics of a major-sized convention center and complementary retail should be announced soon. Sales tax revenue bonds and private donations will finance this project estimated to cost more than $120 million.
The city of Edwardsville is planning for a 200-room hotel and a medium-sized convention center. This should complement the convention center planned for the American Royal complex. Those who follow the convention trade explain that there is a greater number of smaller and medium-sized groups who want to come to Kansas City but prefer to stay in Kansas hotels.
Both the Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, tourism bureaus are financed by a hotel guest tax.
Sports play a major role in attracting visitors to Kansas City. Nelson said that three of the major events include basketball tournaments for the Big 12, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the women of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Although downtown Kansas City, Missouri, realizes the most effect from these tournaments, there is a secondary effect that benefits Kansas.
Nelson said there is a regional effort in putting together a bid for the 2026 World Cup soccer match; she complimented the regional cooperative spirit among tourism of professionals in this effort.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.
$120 million for more development out west. Won’t pay $40 million for a grocery store and health clinic in the northeast. Every one remember that.