Tourism plays a significant role in the economies of both Stone and Taney counties. Both counties, rich in natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and historical charm, attract millions of visitors each year, making tourism a vital component of the local economy and the livelihoods of residents.
Stone County, home to Table Rock Lake and the picturesque Ozark Mountains, offers a range of activities such as boating, hiking, fishing, and camping. The area’s tranquil lakeside settings and proximity to Branson make it an attractive destination for families, outdoor enthusiasts, and nature lovers. Tourists flock to the area for its outdoor adventures, local festivals, and scenic views, directly benefiting local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, tour services, and retail shops. The presence of Table Rock Lake also boosts real estate investments, with many people seeking vacation homes or seasonal properties.
Taney County, known for the famous Branson entertainment district, benefits from a mix of live shows, theme parks, shopping, and dining experiences. Branson’s array of family-friendly attractions, such as Silver Dollar City and the Titanic Museum, draw millions of visitors annually. This influx of tourists supports not only the entertainment industry but also essential services such as transportation, hospitality, and retail. In fact, Branson is one of Missouri’s top tourist destinations, and its thriving tourismsector employs thousands of residents. For many, jobs in hospitality, entertainment, and service industries are the primary means of income, making tourism an essential part of daily life in Taney County.
Tourism is a cornerstone of the economies in Stone and Taney counties, providing jobs, fostering local businesses, and supporting a vibrant community life. The steady flow of tourists not only benefits residents directly employed in the industry but also strengthens the overall economic fabric, making tourism an indispensable part of the region’s livelihood.
This year, Exceed, an economic development research group from the University of Missouri Extension, released a brief on tourism job trends across Missouri, which calls out the importance of tourism jobs in Stone and Taney Counties. Built using data from Lightcast payroll and self-employment job estimates, this report is a useful resource for demonstrating the crucial role tourism plays in the economic landscape of our counties.
Interested in diving deeper into data on tourism jobs in your community? Use the Map Room here in the Stone and Taney Data Dashboard to learn more!
The interactive map above shows American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate data on workers in arts, entertainment, recreation, and food – key employment sectors involved in and impacted by tourism – in Stone and Taney Counties. By clicking on Stone County, we can see that, as of the latest data collection from the ACS, over 20% of workers in the county work tourism-related jobs. In Taney County, nearly 23% of workers are in arts, entertainment, recreation, or food industries. In other words, around around one fifth of the workers in both counties work jobs directly impacted by tourism!
In addition to maps showing employment by county, the Map Room also provides data from the US Census Bureau’s LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics on the dispersal of jobs in arts, entertainment, recreation, and food across census tracts in Stone and Taney Counties. Click the images of maps above to visit these data in the Map Room and begin learning more about tourism jobs in your area!
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