Escaping to the country
Jasper County gets tourism boost from many fleeing big cities, but leaders not sure it’s enough to offset lost event revenue
Rural southeast Texas has seen a boost in tourism as some have sought to escape urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, but regional tourism agencies aren’t sure that will offset revenue lost by the cancellation of topearning events.
As emergency restrictions were implemented and COVID-19 cases surged, loads of vehicles started to pack the parking lots of the boat ramps around Lake Sam Rayburn, said Gary Collins, president of Jasper County Development District 1.
“When the coronavirus started, the first wave before it got serious, we had people everywhere at Rayburn,” he said. “They could have been people trying to get away from the cities for a while, or people that have vacation homes up here, but they were showing up, either way.”
The development district has already seen almost $10,000 more in sales taxes compared to the same period last year — a payment of more than $53,000.
The district is still waiting on data for this year’s hotel tax, but Collins was already expecting it to be lower. The hotel at the Rayburn Country Resort had been closed since early spring, leaving only one other hotel to collect taxes from.
Condos, rental homes and any other kind of short-term booking can still add to the taxes collected for districts like Collins’, but time will tell if the boost from tourists escaping into the country will make up for the loss of some of the weekends busy with fishing tournaments and other events that have been cancelled since early April.
Ray Beck, a member of the Umphrey Family Pavilion board, said some of the tournament organizers who initially canceled events are rescheduling for this fall.
He said the Outlaw Outdoor Team Series held in June was one of the first to be hosted under the permission of the Army Corps at the pavilion. Instead of a typical weigh-in where anglers and spectators gather at a stage to have the weights of their catch recorded and announced, they drive by the weigh station and drop off their catches.
While the tournament industry, local shops and restaurants that cater to the anglers can expect some business if events are able to stay on schedule, continue to be held, the lack of crowds and family traveling with teams may change the economic impact for the host county.
There are signs from at least one lodging provider in Jasper that the extra visitors to the area could be contributing to more stays.
Amanda Smith, a partner in the Country Club Park and the Ol Miller’s convenience store, said both businesses have been seeing numerous out-of-towners since the pandemic began.
She said the park has been mostly full this year, not from travelers, but from workers on a pipeline project in the area. The park has seen an increased number of calls from people looking for an RV spot for the weekend.
“It’s definitely the fishing and the lake (that attracts them),” she said. “With everything shut down, there isn’t a lot left for them to do in the city.”
“With everything shut down, there isn’t a lot left for them to do in the city.” Amanda Smith, a partner in the Country Club Park in Jasper