By: Jared Stranberg
According to a press release by the city of Omaha, 2018 was an all-time high for tourist spending and visitation.
The report conducted by Tourism Economics said that 13.1 million visitors spent roughly $1.3 billion while visiting Omaha in 2018, a 6% increase from 2016.
Since there are around 17,860 jobs in Omaha that depend on tourism, Omaha residents have a vested interest in seeing the tourist economy grow.
Omaha’s biggest tourist attraction, the Henry Doorly Zoo, is one place that heavily relies upon tourist visitation. Dennis Schnurbusch II, the chief operating officer for the zoo, said that this tourism economy is a large portion of their business.
“Out of town visitors [outside of Iowa and Nebraska] still account for almost 31% of our annual attendance,” Schnurbusch said. “So, they’re still very important to our operation.”
In 2018, the zoo sustained a loss in attendance, but it bounced back slightly this year.
“Our visitation is up a little bit. Our revenues are up a little bit,” Schnurbusch said. “They’re not as high as what we expected because again, we had issues with regard to weather. Significant flooding impacted the interstate system, made it difficult for people to travel in that way.”
In addition to travel, weather also affects the zoo experience itself, as a significant portion of the zoo is an outside experience. Despite the poor weather this past spring, however, Schnurbusch reported this year’s local visitation numbers are extremely high.
As for Omaha, Schnurbusch said he believes the city has seen growth this year.
“I think I’ve seen an increase in the perception of Omaha as a tourism destination,” Schnurbusch said. “I think it’s kind of a hidden gem, and the zoo itself has helped enlighten people with regard to what we have to offer here. But the city has done a tremendous job of doing things to help increase its profile.”
Schnurbusch added that the community’s support is part of the reason for the success of tourist attractions in Omaha, especially at the zoo.
“The support that the community gives this zoo allows us to continue to help be a beacon for this community and help draw people in,” Schnurbusch said.
