AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR / KCIT) – COVID-19 numbers are falling, more people are being vaccinated. The restrictions are gradually lifted and the level of comfort returns. And the visitors too.

Amarillo outperformed many cities across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the lowest unemployment rate in Texas and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

Those numbers include Amarillo’s tourism and travel industry, which, according to Kashion Smith, executive director of the Amarillo Congress and Visitor Office, tends to do better in the economic recovery.

“We know the hospitality and tourism industries are recovering faster and faster in Amarillo,” said Smith. “We say the I-40 is a gift, and it really is a streak that supports our industry. But we really didn’t expect what we saw. “

What they saw were the final quarter of 2020 numbers beating 2019, which was itself a year of growth for Amarillo. In 2019, Amarillo’s tourism industry had over 9,000 workers they supported. Prior to 2019, Smith said the Amarillo travel and tourism industry had seen three years of steady growth.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to its knees, people’s wanderlust is the only thing that has never waned. And Amarillo fared better.

“We understood very quickly that people wanted to travel, whether they could or not,” said Smith. “So when the airlines declined, we were the perfect place for people to get in the car with their family and go on a weekend getaway. So we actually saw a recovery in the fourth quarter of last year (2020). “

Visitors to the Amarillo area spent $ 919.6 million within the Amarillo city limits in 2019. That’s over $ 2.5 million a day flowing into the local economy. Travelers also generated $ 81.4 million in tax revenue. That’s 61% of the region’s total tax revenue.

Amarillo has long had a reputation for being a pass-through market. A place to refuel, eat, stretch your legs, or rest for the night on a long journey. But now, Smith said, was a golden opportunity for Amarillo to establish itself as a destination city.

“What we’re trying to use is changing travel habits. Whether or not someone first used us as a hatch, we really want to take that visitor with us and give them a destination message, ”she said. “We don’t want to create pass-through anymore, we want to create that travel destination feeling. We want them to move into Amarillo and think this is the final. This is where I will go on vacation. ‘”

For those in search of travel destinations, Smith said, Amarillo has over 25 true attractions. These include Palo Duro Canyon, Route 66, TEXAS Outdoor Musical, the Amarillo Museum of Art, Wonderland, Discovery Center and Botanical Gardens.

And for gourmets, Amarillo offers many options and tastes in many cultures, including you.

Looking for date night ideas? Amarillo has plenty of them too. Amarillo, Smith said, is the only town in Texas where you can ride a ranch, hike, or take a jeep tour of Palo Duro Canyon. If that doesn’t apply to you or your date, there is the Amarillo Symphony, the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Amarillo Venom, to name a few.

Whatever your taste, Smith said, Amarillo has something for everyone. And this travel season, much like the country is looking to put the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror, is looking up.

“What we do know is that we are preparing for a summer that will most likely be the greatest we have ever seen.”

Sounds like a good deal.

For more information on what to do in Amarillo, click Here.

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