Joplin: Tornado Tourism, Bane or Boost?

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Here is an article from the Christian Science Monitor asking the question many Joplinites have been asking: Should "tornado tourism" be encouraged?

Having been there three times since the storm, I suggest the short-term answer is "yes" and the long-term answer is "no."

A friend of mine, who was just there, told me today that they are making great progress. But, as the article points out, the vacant lots at the moment far outnumber those where building is occurring. So, traffic is low on those streets and the "tourists" will spend money and help boost the battered economy.

So, for the short-term, a tornado tour, along with the other attractions such as the mines and Route 66 seems like a good idea to me.

Comments

  1. JamesFebruary 13, 2012 at 6:19 PM

    I lived over in Southeast Kansas and I am familiar with Joplin. One thing I think would be nice if they used the aftermath of the tornado as a teaching tool for emergency managers, first responders and the general public of what can happen in the worse case when this happens. I think that it would be a good part of the tourist experience to tell them the before and after story of the tornado and let them know what has happened.

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