The age of low air fares to Branson have arrived and it is thanks to the “Branson Airport (BKG) which is located approximately 10 miles south of Branson. That thanks is based on two aspects, the low cost air fares of the carriers actually serving BKG and the fact that low priced service has influenced and lowered the air fares fares currently available through the air carriers serving the “Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF),” located about 45 miles northwest of Branson.
That said, the Ole Seagull has some questions that he’s wondering if he can get answers to. “Yes,” he knows he could probably pick up the phone and call people, but then some will return the calls others won’t and besides, whether they are good questions or not, at least they are on the public record and can serve as the start of a public discourse on the availability of low fares to Branson and how to let Branson’s prospective guests know about them.
1. Does the average theatre, attraction, or hotel care whether or not the person purchasing their tickets or renting their rooms flew in through BKG, SGF, STL or East Kishnif?
2. In fact, forget about flying, as long as they are alive, breathing and have paid for a ticket or room does the average theatre, attraction, or hotel care how the person purchasing those tickets or renting their rooms got there? Does it really make any difference whether they came by car, bus, motorcycle, moped, boat, train, canoe, etc. or any combination thereof?
3. Would the answers to 1 and 2 above be any different for restaurants, retail shops, convention centers, etc.?
4. How much has the Branson Lakes/Lakes Area CVB (CVB) and the Branson Lakes Area Tourism Community Enhancement District (TCED) spent in the last year promoting low cost air fares to Branson?
5. Was one of the primary action items of those ads the intent to get the person reading the ad to go to the city of Branson owned web site, currently under lease to the TCED, “Explorebranson.com” and, from its front page, take an action that would allegedly give them information on the low fares available to Branson?
6. Is the primary source of information on that site talking about low air fares located at http://www.explorebranson.com/static/index.cfm?contentID=256, Click here to see page.
7. Does that page read basically the same the morning of May 16 as it has for the last few weeks?
8. In view of the impact that the new airport was anticipated to have and is having on low cost air fares and the current economic environment, what research has either the CVB or TCED done on the availability of low cost airfares to Branson?
9. As of the morning of May 16, when a potential Branson guests who has viewed the CVB/TCED ads about low fares to Branson takes the action prescribed in the ads will they get information on all the low cost air fares available to Branson?
10. If the answer to 9 above is anything less than a definite “Yes,” especially since taxpayer money is currently being used to promote “low cost air fares to Branson,” shouldn’t it be done in a manner that potential Branson guests get enough information so that they can make an informed choice?
11. Was any of that money spent in the Indianapolis, IN market?
12. If so why?
13. As of the morning of May 16, for a trip between Indianapolis, IN and either SGF or BKG, departing on July 11 and returning on July 18, what airline actually has the lowest air fare?