It's nearly time for schools to let out and for families to start planning their summer vacations, and some local tourism spots are gearing up for new attractions they hope will bring even more people to central Nebraska this year.
During the spring crane migration, central Nebraska is a hot spot for tourism.
"We're talking tens of thousands of people," Hall County/Grand Island Convention and Visitors Bureau Assistant Director Tricia Beem says.
Beem says all those people make a big contribution to the area's economy.
"The impact during that season is tremendous, it's wide spread," Beem says. "We're talking millions of dollars into the local economy, everything from hotels and restaurants to gas stations and retailing."
But once those cranes leave, the visitors do, too. This year, the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center hopes to change that.
"One of the things we want to do is get people out, year round, to see what's here," Director Brad Mellema says.
He says one new attraction is a Discovery Trail along the Platte River.
"We want to create an experience where it's really hands on, people can get out here and kind of get to experience things first hand," Mellema says.
That's just one way they're hoping to boost tourism in Central Nebraska, year round.
Mellema says another new addition to the area will be a herd of bison.
"We're going to bring an exhibition herd of bison out here," Mellema says, "and of course bison are the keystone animal formative for the great plains. They're really the perfect animal to be out here."
Beem says it's just what the area might need to keep people interested year round.
"To see the bison and to walk on the trails and participate in the interactive activities, it would have a tremendous effect," Beem says.
