Tourism continues to play a major role in Missouri's economy, accounting for 3.2% of total Gross State Product (GSP) and just over 6% of total employment. According to the U.S. Travel Data Center, Missouri had nearly 35.6 million visitors and $5.72 billion in direct tourism expenditures in FY2002.
One drawback to an otherwise vibrant state tourism sector is the wage levels of the jobs the tourism industry supports. The average annual wage across Missouri's tourism related industries is only $20,970, nearly 37% less than Missouri's annual average wage across all industries.
