July 2008 — Missouri ranked as the No. 3 vacation state for the first half of 2008 on the domestic travel planning Web site Vacationfun.com, based on requests for tourist information. In Vacationfun.com's separate ranking of individual cities, Branson was No. 1 in the nation for this period, and St. Louis took the No. 2 spot.

"Missouri's location, wide-ranging attractions, and effective advertising campaign pushed it to the top three," said John Hudak, publisher of Vacationfun.com, which is currently ranked in the top 10 percent of U.S. travel Web sites by the independent tracking firm Hitwise.

Despite economic concerns affecting the tourism industry, travel planning on Vacationfun.com is growing - visits to the site increased by 25 percent in the first half of 2008 compared to the same time period in 2007. According to Hudak, most Americans are not giving up vacations altogether, but looking for one-stop destinations closer to home.

"Missouri attracts short-haul visitors from several surrounding states, as well as within Missouri, and provides any type of traveler with a complete experience," Hudak said. "The state's 'Close to Home. Far From Ordinary' advertising campaign is ideal for getting this message across to a regional audience."

Data recently released by the Missouri Division of Tourism show that, so far in 2008, traffic at the state's seven Missouri Welcome Centers is on par with 2007 figures. In addition, recent concerns about high water have not had a measurable impact on travel to Missouri destinations and attractions, according to reports from industry representatives across the state.

Vacationfun.com attracts 2.3 million user sessions per year and is referenced as "America's leading source of free official travel information." The site enables travelers to research destinations and request information, by mail or electronically, from tourism organizations nationwide. Consumers requested more than 11.5 million visitor guides and brochures through VacationFun.com in the past year.