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[chittlins]

Joe Nichols just played at the STL Auto Show this weekend. I had to miss it, but would have loved to see it.

I think the previous few posts sort of explains most of it. The older Branson tourists base is dying off. The younger crowd is just different. Most are not thrilled about travel at all. I think there are many reasons for this.

With todays technology, "everybody" (especially the kids) demand instant gratification. That means that they have no patience to wait in lines--and will not tolerate spending money to hear some songs they never heard of when they can hit the PANDORA button.

With YOU TUBE, they can ride any coaster on the planet.
With the age of "health foods" they wont blow much on funnel cakes.
Not to mention - alot of kids dont have cars today. This generation of kids have a bigger "LACK" of interest for cars, than did any generation prior. (Hey I didnt make that up), The automakers said that back in the big recession.  --- without a car, kids cant travel much.

OK I know, it is not to "that" level yet. SDC (and Branson) still has tourists (young & old). My point is, THIS is the direction that the kids "appear" to be going. If it continues, tourism will fade drastically everywhere.  I dont think it will ever "disappear" but I bet if reduces by large numbers as we older folks die off and today kids become middle aged.

Folks still like to go places but right now with people I know in the Memphis area, they are going to the coast on offpeak times to capitalize on cheap condo rentals. Everyone wants to share the secret of their great deals at Destin or Gulf Shores.  My brother married into a family with a condo at Longboat Key, now with Southwest flying directly to Tampa from Memphis and right now it's 69 bucks each way. They are just going south.

That's going to get me off on a little rant on Delta, they for years, gouged Memphis locals with their fares as Memphis was hub and connecting flights ruled the day. They finally reneged on the Hub deal as Atlanta kept giving them freebies. When a low cost air carrier would come into Memphis before this, Delta would undercut them till they threw in the towel and then jack them way up again.  So what's happening in Memphis as Delta cut 2/3rds of it's flight in and out of Memphis and giving up so many gates.

Airport officials said 14,000 more local passengers flew out of the airport in December 2013 compared to December 2012.

Over the last six months of 2013, the airport recorded 900,500 originating and destination passengers, up from 843,000 over the same six-month period in 2012.


Can 't wait for Frontier to get into there and they are supposed to. Also can't wait for the Love Field restrictions expire for Southwest. Memphis will be sure to gain a Memphis to Dallas flight that isn't jaw dropping from American.

[qwed94]

Chitlins, in a weird way, that sort of supported the idea of Branson traffic dropping over the next 20+ years.
Airfare is relatively cheap these days and "guess what"? Branson is losing their airport.
Teens/20s will always flock to the beaches regardless of when.
I also know (just from listening/asking out in stores, restaurants, ETC). It seems most people like HOT over COLD weather. Assuming that had to choose one or the other. Most people would chose (lets say 115* over how bout -15*) Not that anybody likes either extreme, but Hot will usually prevail.

Now take a generation that probably wont travel like we do, and likes Hot over Cold. They will likely always flock to Florida beaches, but Bransons days might really be numbered. I dont mean 2014. I mean more like 2050.

[sanddunerider]

Just a quick note..

branson is NOT losing their airport..(for now anyway)...

Southwest is pulling out (june I think)..

But the airport will remain, and I think there will be another major airline will contract with them within a year or so..

AND after all with the C oF O national airport, they now have 2 options on where to land.

...........LOL..!!......    (too soon)..

[chittlins]

Just a quick note..

branson is NOT losing their airport..(for now anyway)...

Southwest is pulling out (june I think)..

But the airport will remain, and I think there will be another major airline will contract with them within a year or so..

AND after all with the C oF O national airport, they now have 2 options on where to land.

...........LOL..!!......    (too soon)..

Branson still has Frontier and you must remember that service to cities out of Branson is exclusive so Frontier may pick up some of the Southwest flights now that they are open

[Gilligan]

Our trips to Branson are similar to Swoosh's trips.  We go for the lakes and SDC.  The hubs and I do like walking around the Landing, but most of the time we are on the water and at SDC.  We go into town to play mini-golf once in awhile, and we frequent the grocery stores in Hollister bc they are closer to our condo. 

[chittlins]

Our trips to Branson are similar to Swoosh's trips.  We go for the lakes and SDC.  The hubs and I do like walking around the Landing, but most of the time we are on the water and at SDC.  We go into town to play mini-golf once in awhile, and we frequent the grocery stores in Hollister bc they are closer to our condo. 

We've had this conversation before but hey it's January.

My complaints on the Landing. It's only half way there. It missed on the entertainment aspect. No movie theater, not bowling, no nightlife other that basically eateries that may have a band from time to time. It's basically just an new urbanism outdoor shopping center. Sorry, I got that here, and so do most cities that Branson draws from.

What could have been done besides those glaring omissions I mentioned above. A live events venue. About the size you see at the larger non Vegas casinos. You can double up with non recurring musical acts and higher end touring comedians like Lewis Black and Ron White and so on. A Dave and Busters or something like that for young adults.

The outlet mall, it's got the basics but it's hideous. Tanger has tried to jazz it up but just about every way you approach it, it's metal roof and siding. Reminds me on my father in laws farm shed. Bigger cities again have these now when they used to not be and lets look at a couple of examples, Legends West and Opry Mills. Each have themed restaurants aimed at kids. Trex in KC, Aquarium and Rain Forest in Nashville. Both have a Dave and Busters and both have theaters and some national chain eateries that aren't on every corner like Chili's and Applebee's.

See where this is going, The landing should have been an open air outlet center with these type of of things along with what's there. Tanger just needs nuked.  Branson has never addressed the widening of 76, traffic sucks and it takes a toll, Pigeon Forge has better roads If you are a family in Memphis does this enter into the equation, I think it does. Compare Grand Country to Wilderness at the Smokies.

Branson has tons of potential, I'm curious as to what Morris is up too with buying up all the gold courses, but it has to get off the theater model.