Dramatic Drop In Winter Texan Visitors To The Rio Grande Valley

It is a worrying trend. That’s how the head of the U-T-P-A Business and Research Tourism Center is viewing the results of its new study showing an alarming drop in the number of Winter Texans traveling to the Valley. The survey counted about 100-thousand Winter Texans this past season, down from 144-thousand four years ago. In turn, the economic value of Winter Texans also shrunk, from 800-million dollars spent four years ago, down to about 700-million dollars this past season.

U-T-P-A marketing professor Dr. Penny Simpson says it’s time for local chambers of commerce to ramp up their marketing campaigns to counteract the negative perception potential new Winter Texans may have of the Valley. Kathy Olivarez, the editor of the Winter Texan Times, says they’re getting numerous calls from readers wondering if it’s safe to return — citing national media stories that portray a dangerous border region in chaos.