STORY:
Branson Party a Bust

Country music Mecca can’t attract crowd for New Year’s Eve Bash

(Everything2000) It’s a destination for seniors from around the nation. Country music lovers flock to Branson, Missouri to listen to tunes and enjoy the festive environment. There’s been no problem selling out shows-- until this New Year’s Eve.

Party packages were pushed by travel agents and headliners were lined up to perform months in advance.

Today there’s just one small problem- it seems not many people want to come to the celebration. Shows are being cancelled and everyone is shaking their heads wondering what happened.

Ozark Prime Time Tours booked 16 buses a year ago to head to Branson for New Year’s Eve. Stormy Snow with the travel agency says she thought thousands of travelers would fill up the tour buses in no time. Snow was wrong. She sold only 38 package deals total. The $725 per-person deal included four nights and eight shows.

Branson’s 4,000-seat Grand Palace Theater was planning a 24-hour show featuring the town’s top 100 performers. Only one-third of the tickets has sold and New Year’s Eve is right around the corner.

Some of the tourists who have booked tickets to Branson have ended up canceling. Great Southern Travel offered a three-day "Millennium" package costing from $300 to $500. All 25 packages sold but were just cancelled recently.

It seems Branson shouldn’t take the cancellations and lack of interest personally, many cities are finding the same problems. A huge "Celebration 2000" party in New York was cancelled recently due to lack of interest. That party was to be THE party of the century but it seems nobody wanted to pay $1,000 to attend. Even hotels, which normally see huge crowds on New Year’s Eve, are not booked; many are dropping rates hoping to add business.

The Year 2000 for most Americans will be a time spent close to home. It looks like the public celebrations will have to wait a year.

Source: Associated Press

DATE: 12/17/99

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