Missouri set new tourism records in Fiscal Year 2016, Gov. Nixon announced today during a visit to Silver Dollar City. Citing figures from the FY16 annual impact report by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics, Missouri welcomed 41.7 million visitors, a 3.2 percent increase from the previous record of 40.4 million in Fiscal Year 2015.
Overall, the tourism industry had a $16.5 billion economic impact on Missouri in FY16, up from $15.9 billion in the previous fiscal year. Additionally, tourism-related spending in Missouri increased to $13.1 billion in FY16, up from $12.4 billion the previous fiscal year according to the Missouri Department of Revenue.
Direct tourism-related employment also increased to 307,937 jobs, up from 297,129 in FY15, according to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Attendance at the Missouri State Fair increased in 2016 with 356,153 fairgoers visiting the Fair, an increase of 4,000 attendees from 2015 figures. Missouri State Parks also saw record guests in 2016 with, at last count, more than 19.2 million guests visiting state parks and historic sites.