State Tourism Funding Restored After 10 Million Dollars Had Been Slashed

Funding for state tourism efforts will be fully supported again after $10-million is returned to the original $26-million state tourism budget.

That’s according to lake area State Representative Jeff Vernetti who sits on the House Budget Committee.

Vernetti says 10-million was being slashed from the tourism budget which would cut at the very heart of economic activity in Camden County and across the lake area.

Figures show, in 2025 alone, visitors to Missouri generated a $21-billion impact to the state’s economy while also contributing to the 12-percent of the private workforce involved in the tourism industry.

Tourism is considered the second-most important industry in Missouri behind only agriculture.