Families Choose Closer To Home Vacations
at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO -- In spite of rising gasoline prices, families continue to take summer vacations at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks.  Nationwide, the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) forecasts leisure travel will increase 1.4 percent this summer compared to last year; however, the pollsters note, more of those vacations will involve shorter-distance trips.
        
   “Typically when gas prices are on the rise, visitors look for travel destinations that are closer to home,” says Jim Divincen, administrator of the Lake’s Tri-County Lodging Association.  “There’s a price point on cost-per-gallon of gas that affects discretionary spending, including travel,” he notes.  “So our hope obviously is that gas prices will remain as low as possible this summer.  In addition, we are marketing the Lake to areas within a day’s drive.”

   Right in the middle of Missouri and the nation, the Lake of the Ozarks is a convenient and accessible vacation destination and an easy day trip for more than 66 million people.  For example, St. Louis and Kansas City both are about 180 miles away; Chicago, 467 miles; Des Moines, 300 miles; Milwaukee, 541 miles; Tulsa, 296 miles; Louisville, 441 miles; and Nashville, 497 miles.

   Each year, more than 4.5 million people visit the Lake of the Ozarks.  That number could rise this year as vacationers shift their sights closer to home – and as more and more travelers discover the vacation value available at the Lake of the Ozarks.  The 54,000-acre lake features a wide selection of accommodations, from hotels and motels to campgrounds, condos, resorts, bed-and-breakfasts, vacation homes, and houseboats.  

Plenty to See and Do

   And families have so much to enjoy: water parks and state parks, caves and arcades, go-carts and mini-golf, music and shopping – including Missouri’s largest name-brand outlet center, Osage Beach Premium Outlets, plus numerous antique and specialty shops.  There are 16 golf courses, dining options from hot dogs to haute cuisine, and, of course, water activities of all sorts: boating, fishing, swimming and skiing.

   The Travel Industry Association notes that auto travel will account for 80 percent of all summer leisure trips this year.  Eighty percent of those trips will include sightseeing – such as the beautiful Ozarks hills and panoramic views throughout the Lake of the Ozarks area.  Other top activities will include visiting a state park (the Lake area has two: Lake of the Ozarks State Park and Ha Ha Tonka State Park) and going to all-inclusive resorts (the Lake of the Ozarks has several, most notably The Lodge of Four Seasons Golf Resort & Spa Shiki and Tan-Tar-A Resort, Golf Club, Marina & Indoor Waterpark).

   Summer travelers also said they are interested in historical/heritage-focused activities.  The Lake of the Ozarks fits that bill with its museums and family-friendly festivals such as the Osage Mountain Man Festival and Rendezvous, Sept. 14-16, and Oma and Noma Days, Sept. 28-30, named for the sisters who were the first two people to drive across historic Bagnell Dam on May 30, 1931.

   In addition, TIA and American Express asked people about other elements of their ideal vacation destination. The answers: an easy travel experience, a sense of fun and adventure and local flavor – all readily available at the Lake of the Ozarks.

   All of these factors are contributing to a strong 2007 tourism season for the Lake of the Ozarks area. “Our lodging revenue is up nearly six percent through May, ahead of the same period last year, so we’re pleased with that and cautiously optimistic about a robust travel summer,“ Divincen says.  Adds Tim Jacobsen, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau, “Obviously, the weekends are very busy and the weather has been good.”

   Jacobsen believes that higher gas prices can benefit Lake-area tourism, as travelers look for closer destinations.  “More people are coming and staying longer at the Lake because of our central location. Our campgrounds and RV parks in particular are doing well,” he says.  “Campers are coming in record numbers and staying longer.”  Larry Jones, owner of Osage Beach RV Park, says, “The number of guests from Missouri has increased about 20 percent and that’s because people aren’t straying too far from home.  The number of Illinois visitors also has increased.”  Jones adds his campground’s month-long reservations have gone up by about 50 percent.

   Higher gas prices also are affecting Lake-area condo rentals.  “People are still coming to the Lake but they are changing their habits,” says James Leveridge of Lake Ozark Vacations, A PMG Company. “They’re staying closer to home so they feel they don’t have to plan too far ahead.  The good news is, there’s availability even for the last-minute traveler.”

   At The Lodge of Four Seasons all-inclusive resort, General Manager Dave Griffin says, “People definitely are driving shorter distances for vacations and a lot of them choose the Lake of the Ozarks.  Our leisure tourism is up about eight percent versus last year.”

   Part of that increase is due to higher gas prices, Griffin says, but he also attributes it to The Lodge of Four Seasons’ July promotion that offered a $50 credit good for gasoline to guests who booked at least a two-night stay. “The rest of the summer also looks good,” he says.  “We expect a lot of guests from St. Louis and surrounding areas in Missouri and the Illinois counties next to St. Louis.  That’s our traditional market but we boosted our advertising and marketing efforts in those areas slightly this year.”

Golf and Fun Parks Up

   According to TIA, 14 percent of leisure travelers plan to take golf trips this summer. At the Lake of the Ozarks, the number of golf rounds played is “up slightly,” compared to last year, says Steve Walker, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Council.  “I believe this is related to the fact that people are taking golf vacations closer to home because of higher gas prices.  It’s a real advantage to us that we are a drive-to destination.”  The Golf Council’s 14 courses – designed by luminaries such as Roger Null, Tom Weiskopf, Arnold Palmer, Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge – attract golfers primarily from St. Louis and Kansas City. Significant numbers of golfers also come to the Lake of the Ozarks from Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin and beyond, Walker says.

   He adds that visitors to the Golf Council’s web site – www.golfingmissouri.com – also are up by more than 10 percent compared to last summer.  “Again, this is a reflection of people looking for good golf close to home,” Walker says.  “We’re looking forward to the rest of the summer remaining strong in terms of golf.  It seems that more and more people are finding out about golf at the Lake of the Ozarks and booking money-saving Golf-A-Round packages.”

   Attractions, too, are seeing more visitors from Missouri. For example, at Big Surf Waterpark and Big Shot Family Action Center, General Manager Darin Keim notes about 53 percent of the parks’ guests are Missourians – up a bit from 2006 – and the majority of those come from within a two-hour drive of the Lake; about one-third are from out of state.  “This summer we’re seeing a lot of first-time visitors, too,” Keim says.

   Looking ahead, Jacobsen expects the 2007 summer leisure travel season to continue to be strong. “Based on conversion studies we’ve done in the past, we know that nearly 70 percent of people who request information about the Lake actually end up visiting our area,” he says.  “We’re up about 20 percent year-to-date on requests for our Vacation Guide, so that should translate into more people visiting the Lake this year.”

   Jacobsen expects two new late-summer events will help the leisure tourism season to a strong finish. The first-ever Lake of the Ozarks Bike Fest motorcycle rally, Sept. 13-17, will draw thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the Lake area.  And on Sept. 28, the first Horny Toad Offshore Super Series National Championship will bring 45 of the world’s fastest boats to the Lake.  “We believe these events will become two of the premier crowd-pleasers year after year,” Jacobsen says.  He notes there is still plenty of lodging and excellent rates are available at the Lake of the Ozarks through the rest of the summer.

   For more details about beating the high price of gas with a close-to-home vacation at Central Missouri’s convenient and affordable Lake of the Ozarks – as well as information about lodging, dining, shopping, attractions and events – contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253), or visit www.funlake.com.

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