Examining relationships among colleges, universities and communities | Tourism Development
Each school year adds nearly 35,000 to the local population. Most of those students have at least one family member or friend who visits the area. So to say that higher education impacts Columbia’s tourism industry is putting it mildly.
Representatives of area colleges and universities, hospitality leaders and public service administrators who gathered for the Columbia Business Times’ Tourism Development Forum breakfast Aug. 19 agreed that tourism and higher education go together well.
“Prospective students are our largest group of visitors, and with them and other scheduled groups we have about 40,000 visitors a year to our campus,” said LeAnn Stroupe, visitor relations coordinator at the University of Missouri.
Stroupe added that, from her perspective, the community does a lot to make visiting the university and Columbia a pleasant experience for university guests. “This is a community that does believe in working together, and it shows,” she said.
Bob McDonald of Courtyard by Marriott, a sponsor of the Tourism Development Forum, said that potential guests routinely ask how close the hotel is to the MU campus. “In addition to a lot of visitors and business guests related to the university, we host a number of meetings from MU departments,” he said. “These have big impact.”
Mike Kelly, manager of Stoney Creek Inn, said that his hotel has a strong relationship with the university. Two years ago the hotel became pet friendly, and working with the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, it selected two rooms and redesigned them so that the owners of dogs that are cancer patients at the veterinary hospital can stay at the hotel with their dogs.
“They found that it’s much better if the dogs can stay with their owners,” Kelley said. “It’s a unique and rewarding opportunity.” He added that the hotel also worked with the Columbia-Boone County Health Department to make sure that the rooms follow health regulations.
Yost said that the college depends on all hotels and motels in the area during the college’s graduation and parents’ weekend. She added that the airport is a selling point among students who consider attending Stephens. Additional selling points are the college’s proximity to The District and that MU is nearby.
In addition, Yost said, the college has increased its attention toward partnering with MU and Columbia College to bring guest artists to Columbia. “Money is tight these days, and it’s been great to have these resources,” she said.
Gerald Brouder, president of Columbia College, said that the college’s commencements and other activities, including lecture series, bring a lot of people to Columbia. “We have three commencements each year, and there are a lot of out-of-town guests for those,” he said. “Also, our athletic teams bring folks here, and the community has always been great in accommodating those crowds.”
Brouder said that partnerships are key to getting city improvements accomplished. “We partnered with the city to improve Range Line Street on the eastern edge of our campus, and that area has improved significantly,” he said.
Goers added that his business doesn’t necessarily attract visitors to Columbia, but it does add to the variety of activities that the area offers. He said that Venture Out’s Alpine Tower, located south of the university’s nuclear reactor facility, is becoming more popular among his new customers.
Jewel Coffman of the MU Conference Office said her department works with university and non-university clients to help them organize conferences and other events. “We had 93 conferences and events last year,” she said. “Most were in Columbia, so we appreciate the support we receive from area hotels, motels and restaurants in bringing those people here.”
Emily Janssen of the MU Athletic Department said the home football and basketball games each season bring a large number of visitors to the area, and her department is working with the NCAA to bring more post-season events to the university. “We expect to see even greater exposure for the university and Columbia,” she said.
Columbia Regional Airport Manager Andrew Schneider said within a couple of years the airport hopes to attract an additional airline. “Growing financial support will help make that happen,” he said.
Yost added that the airport’s limited flight service is a hindrance in attracting stars to the Citizen Jane Film Festival. “The logistics are bad when you have to direct people who are seasoned travelers first to Kansas City or St. Louis,” she said.
