Paynes Valley

Explore Branson Destination Ascends with Nearly 10 Million Visitors in 2021

Niches Driving Growth in SW Missouri Ozarks Oasis; 10 Golf Courses, Three Lakes, Dozens of Live Shows Beckon

By Brian Weis

Explore Branson, the Destination Marketing Organization for the popular tourism venue in the Southwest Missouri Ozarks, announced a record number of travelers in 2021. Nearly 10 million people selected Branson to visit last year.

Approximately 9,996,000 visitors came into the region in 2021, a significant increase over COVID-19 impacted 2020, and also increased more than 10% over 2019, the last non-COVID-19 affected year.

While overall numbers were up across the board, the positive trends held true for many destination niches, not the least of which is golf. Branson's 10 courses, live entertainment theaters, exceptional lakes, and family friendly activities are renowned for their variety and quality.

All 10 Branson Golf courses are open to the public and range from luxury resort to popular daily fee options. Located close to one another, the courses are ideally situated near a plethora of visitor options including lodging, restaurants, theme park, museums, and countless other attractions without losing their idyllic natural settings that enable players to escape into the Ozarks' natural bounty.

Traveling to Branson is convenient as it is within a one-day drive for 50 percent of the U.S. population. Those who prefer flying can choose between Springfield-Branson International Airport (SGF) - which has the most commercial airline choices - and Branson Airport (BKG), into which a significant number of private flights choose and to where some low-fare carrier routes arrive.

Six of Missouri's Top 10-rated courses are in the Branson Golf destination, including the top three. Some of those are ranked among the country's top 100 public courses by leading magazines.

"The numbers don't lie - Branson is a destination that appeals to so many, and now that we're emerging from the pandemic, it's wonderful to see statistics showing that people are coming in record numbers," said Lynn Berry, Explore Branson Director of Communications. "We're fortunate to have so many great and new golf courses, and we know that they are one reason why more people are choosing to visit us."

Course designs by Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Bob Cupp, and Tom Fazio combine with first-class playing conditions, welcoming hospitality, and five courses that are certified by Audubon International for their environmental and conservation best practices.

Branson is annually voted a TripAdvisor community top U.S. destination, ranking No. 3 in 2021.

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Revised: 04/19/2022 - Article Viewed 2,008 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.