Outman discusses area's potential

A day after the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce named Jason Outman as its new president and CEO, the Branson Tri-Lakes News talked with Outman about the job and the Branson area.

According to Outman, he is excited to be a part of the team and getting to know the Branson community.

“My wife (Yavonda) and I are looking forward to getting into the market, looking forward to really getting to know the residents of the Branson community and hopefully we’ll be able to share with others just who we are as individuals and looking to spread some of our own love and cheer that we offer as a family,” said Outman.

“(My wife and I) jumped on a plane and we went and visited for an extended weekend in Branson in mid-October and just fell in love. It was unexpected, you know of Branson in terms of all of the theaters and the shows and the live music over the years and how that’s built Branson. But, what we learned on top of that with all of the diversified attractions, the outdoors and the lakes and Branson Landing and the shopping, we really saw a destination that was something that we just truly believed can really explode and go to the next level.”

Outman not only is excited about marketing the community, but helping build the community as a whole for the future.

“I really am looking forward to getting to Branson, not just from a tourism standpoint but working with the city of Branson and really helping build that community,” said Outman. “Hopefully driving new industry into the market that will help sustain the city outside of tourism, just in case another pandemic happens in the future we’ll have other industries there whether it’s manufacturing, whether it’s more corporate jobs, whatever we can find. Finding a more diversified market so that we’re not just relying on tourism but we’re relying on jobs for everybody, that everybody can participate in.”

Outman is also excited about looking into the opportunities to spread Branson marketing even further, internationally in fact, to show the world what a gem the Branson community really is.

“I think it should be a goal of the Chamber and the CVB to really diversify the whole market that comes in, whether it is domestic or whether it is international,” said Outman. “I think that the diversity of driving all visitors to the Branson area so that they can experience what a gem it is.”

He said there is potential for Branson to attract visitors from a broader spectrum.

“I’m excited about the potential. Again, Branson already has a name. In my industry people already know of Branson, in the travel industry people already know about Branson. But, the potential of taking that to the next level. The potential of really taking the Branson name across the country and then starting to get into international opportunities. With what Branson has to offer, especially in terms of the golfing and the shopping, those are some of the key things that really attract an international visitor, and so I think as we take those opportunities and we start to share them with international markets, just the opportunity of really taking Branson’s name and making it a household name, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”

He also highlights that in marketing, and in the times of a global pandemic, it’s important to know that attracting international travelers is a process.

“When you target international travelers the first thing that you have to understand is that it’s a process,” said Outman. “Let’s say at the end of January we’ve started to run ads in Europe or in the Asian market, for instance. Just because you run that ad, more than likely two or three weeks later you’re not going to see a visitor. It’s a process. It’s getting that international customer to understand what the destination has to offer in trying to build that excitement.

“It’s a slow game to build international travelers, and I say that to say, by the time we really start to see a true impact in international travelers, I would hope that the (COVID-19) vaccine was fully released to the general public, everybody’s had an opportunity, whether you want to take the vaccine or not, everybody’s had the opportunity to make that decision, and so hopefully the comfort level of welcoming worldwide people, knowing the vaccine has already been out there by the time that this would really make an impact. Hopefully people will have welcoming arms to say ‘OK, let’s start welcoming international travelers because we’re not going to be at any higher risk because the vaccine has already been distributed.’ It really is a slow process.”