The of the Mississippi River are hurting more than shipping in the St. Louis region. They're also taking a toll on tourism.
Kimmswick, a city just south of St. Louis, experienced a major boost in tourism revenue in 2021, due to river tourism, but much of it has disappeared this year. Kimmswick opened its port to riverboats last year for the first time in 125 years, bringing hundreds of visitors who would spend a day in the city.
City leaders estimate those visitors would each spend close to $200 at local businesses. They say the impact went even further.
鈥淓ven when the boats are not here, it becomes known as a river city, where the riverboats land,鈥� Kimmswick Mayor Phil Stang said. 鈥淎nd people come down and see the dock and look at where the riverboats have landed, look at pictures of the riverboats, and then they shop in the city.鈥�
But drought conditions have lowered the Mississippi River in St. Louis to j. Many riverboats have responded to the drought conditions by either canceling tours outright or making stops at fewer ports.
鈥淚n 2022, we were scheduled to have 13 boats land here. We鈥檝e had four,鈥� Stang said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 had a severe impact on everything.
鈥淲e're really good at two major things that the city needs to be able to do, as it sits by the Mississippi,鈥� explained the mayor. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very good at flood fighting and very good at logistics [for large crowds of visitors]. Droughts, though? Not so much.鈥�
