ST LOUIS MO (stlouismo.com) – Governor Matt Blunt Visits Historic Arrow Rock on Show-Me Tourism Tour - Governor’s RV Tour Spotlighting Missouri Attractions for Summer Travel. As part of his 12-stop Show-Me Tourism Tour, Governor Matt Blunt and his family visited historic Arrow Rock. The Blunts’ visit to Arrow Rock is their eleventh stop on a three day RV tour of Missouri state parks and historic sites to promote Missouri tourism.
With skyrocketing gas prices causing some to alter their summer plans, Governor Blunt and Missouri Tourism are teaming up to promote many of the state’s tourism treasures that are a little closer to home for our citizens and great destinations for our visitors.
“As my Show-Me Tourism Tour comes to an end, I have been amazed at the simple pleasures Missourians can enjoy in their own backyards by visiting just one of our charming state parks or historic sites like Arrow Rock,” Governor Matt Blunt said.
Arrow Rock is home to the Lyceum Theater and other notable landmarks. The Lyceum Theater has been in operation for 48 years. Arrow Rock is also the home of George Caleb Bingham, a famous Missouri artist. The Bingham House was built in the 1800’s and has been restored and refurnished. Historic Arrow Rock is full of many hidden treasures, among them limestone gutters that line Main Street, wooden sidewalks and store fronts lined with overhead canopies. For more information about Arrow Rock, please visit http://www.mostateparks.com/arrowrock.htm.
“We want Missourians and all who are making vacation plans to know they do not have to visit the coasts to enjoy a great summer vacation,” Governor Matt Blunt said. “St Louis Missouri is full of wonderful and historic places that can be a little closer to home. My Show-Me Tourism tour is showcasing just a few of our state’s many historic sites and state parks to promote Missouri as a great tourist destination this summer and year round.”
“It is very exciting to have Governor Matt Blunt and his family highlighting the great vacationing venues that we offer the public,” said Bob Smith, Interim Director of the Missouri Division of Tourism. “The governor is a great spokesperson for us and we are deeply appreciative to him for his commitment to the importance of tourism in our state.”
Governor Matt Blunt’s tour of state parks and historic sites started at the Dillard Mill State Historic Site and wraps up two days later with the dedication of the Lewis and Clark Trailhead Monument in Jefferson City. For more information about the tour and the stops, visit http://governor.mo.gov/index.htm.
Tourism is a booming industry in Missouri. More than 293,000 Missourians are employed in tourism-related jobs. In 2007, Missouri hosted 39.2 million visitors from within the United States. Direct expenditures by travelers in Missouri are estimated to have been $8.2 billion during Fiscal Year 2007.
Since taking office the governor has signed budgets increasing tourism funding by nearly $3 million. For more information on St Louis Missouri tourism log on to www.visitmo.com.