Rediscover
May 2021
American travel has been rocked by a cataclysm. For months our highways, airways, resorts and restaurants have reeled from the effects of the attack.
The tragic events of 9/11 changed the world forever.
It was a gut punch every American took personally. The staggering loss of life. The feeling that our open society—our ability to move freely—had been deeply wounded. In the immediate aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center, Americans changed basic habits. They stayed closer to home, closer to family. Travel and tourism became casualties. For months people were afraid to fly...until airfares dropped to $25. Then a few people found it safe to fly again. Sometimes price plays an irrational role in rational decision making.
The day after the attack, I joined a conference call with Missouri Division of Tourism officials. We began weighing options to promote travel to Missouri in this new environment of fear. I saw a fundamental problem: In the world before 9/11, Missouri’s tourism division focused almost entirely on attracting out-of-state visitors. It always made sense. Use the ample state budget to advertise effectively in those markets forming a ring around the Show-Me State. Wichita and Topeka. Omaha. Des Moines and the Quad Cities. Springfield and Rockford. Memphis and Nashville. Little Rock. Tulsa and Oklahoma City. It was taboo in the Missouri tourism industry for the state to advertise to Missourians. Let the local attractions take care of that. But in this new environment of fear, people were staying very close to home.
On the conference call, I challenged the old taboo. “I always thought dollars from Missouri residents spend as well in Marceline, Missouri as they spend in Orlando or Anaheim.” As chief of staff to then-Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell, who chaired the Missouri Tourism Commission at the time, I proposed we break the taboo and promote Missouri to Missourians.
The result? From the ashes of this tragedy, Rediscover Your Missouri was born. Urging Missourians to “check out your own back yard,” the state promoted attractions big and small to our own residents. Museums and amusement parks. Sporting events and memorable food. Caves and fishing and floating and trendy resorts. Oh, and we promoted Missouri State Parks and conservation areas, which were prohibited from advertising their own sites.
The campaign was a record-setting success. Missouri families made great memories. They felt safer, closer to home. And hopefully many Missouri attractions got back on their feet a little faster.
With time and distance from 9/11, people began traveling more and more, farther and farther. Of course, security parameters changed. But the heightened security, if not perfect, offered some comfort to travelers.
Fast forward twenty years. Another calamity took the wind out of our travel sails. This time it was a different threat, a worldwide pandemic. But it had the same result: tourism dried up.
A long dark year has passed. But the signs are encouraging. As we slowly move back to a new normal, it might be worth a mention to our great Missouri family: Check out your own back yard.
And to those readers who live far away, we’ll keep a welcome mask on.
John’s new book, “Souls Along The Road”, caroms through Missouri destinations, forgotten history, remarkable people and memorable food. You can read more about his travels at JohnDrakeRobinson.com.