Branson bets on ‘faith, family and flag.’ That’s a risky tourism strategy | Opinion

Branson’s 2026 tourist season begins in earnest this week. Several shows will premiere, the Silver Dollar City theme park will fling open its gates and area lake resorts will fill with visitors looking to boat, fish and golf. As this year’s official marketing strategy, Branson has settled on “Faith, Family, Flag and Fun.” It is a risky bet to take in today’s political landscape.

A strikingly similar phrase — “Faith, Family and Freedom” — gained much attention in February when Turning Point USA used it to tout its “All-American Halftime Show” to rival the official Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime. Turning Point USA is only the latest conservative political organization to latch on to the phrase. “Faith, Family and Freedom” was trademarked by Gary Bauer in 1989 while he was president of the Family Research Council, an evangelical Christian lobbying group. Sarah Palin subtitled her 2010 memoir “Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag.” Every day across the country, from the Sullivan County commissioners’ race in Tennessee to the congressional race in Wyoming, Republicans running for public office invoke “faith, family and freedom.”

Tourist destinations tend to promote themselves as apolitical. When the goal is economic growth, one cannot afford to discourage visitors. But destinations also have to distinguish themselves. There are dozens of Midwestern locales that have beautiful lakes. What makes Branson unique is its live entertainment industry, and more specifically, the underlying value system that governs its shows. All theaters in town — whether they produce magic shows or Elvis tributes or country music variety shows — are expected to adhere to the values of faith, family and flag.

Several people in Branson insist that faith, family and flag welcome everyone. In theory, the words could be widely interpreted. In practice, however, Branson’s tourism industry leaders are not naïve. They are aware that the conservative movement has largely narrowed the interpretation of “faith” to mean Christian faith, “family” to mean a heterosexual, married nuclear family, and “flag” to mean a version of patriotism that refrains from criticizing the United States, its history or its current president.

As the Branson Globe reported, the current sales team has an “aggressive goal” to “make sure that we meet the right people who want to come to Branson for the right reasons and who match our core values.” The city’s tourism industry is betting that the pitch will draw enough people to outweigh the number of others who might feel unwelcome.

‘Town of the Living Dead’ no more

As someone who has spent the past seven years researching, writing about and visiting Branson, I am both sympathetic to and wary of the marketing pitch. I am sympathetic because in the past when Branson has tried to reach a broader audience, it has been met unfairly with scorn, condescension and even cruelty. During Branson’s 1990s boom, East Coast cultural critics called it “the Town of the Living Dead” and an obscene nickname invoking mules. Why try to convince someone who has predetermined that you are a cultural wasteland?

But I think the “Three F’s” promotion ultimately hurts the town. Branson has the potential to be attractive to people across the political spectrum. It is a place filled with interesting, unique entertainers that one cannot find elsewhere in America. Its hospitality is top-notch, and its embrace of young people is a huge plus. Because of my job, I have dragged my kids to countless theater and dance performances. Not surprisingly, their favorite shows have been in Branson.

Last year, the city posted record sales tax numbers. But that does not mean everyone in Branson believes its tourism industry is thriving, especially not people in the live entertainment sector. Increased revenue at some of the biggest theaters, such as Sight and Sound, obscure the fact that smaller theaters are struggling to fill seats. Higher prices hide lower visitation numbers.

There are many factors that might affect how tourism to Branson will turn out this year: gas prices, inflation and the weather, to name a few. But marketing and brand perception matter tremendously. In 10 months, when Branson’s theaters close up shop for the season and the receipts are calculated, it will be interesting to see whether going all in on faith, family and flag was worth it.

Joanna Dee Das is a professor in the performing arts department at Washington University in St. Louis. She is the author of the book “Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America.”