Here, of course, is Branson, the small town/entertainment capital that’s home to 7,500 residents, yet attracts more than 8 million annual visitors thanks to its 50-plus theaters, 100 or more live shows and array of family-oriented attractions. Historically, says Ross Summers, president and CEO of the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, 87 percent of those visitors drove, with the rest flying into Springfield, an hour to the north. “We’ve always been a value destination,” he says, “but getting here wasn’t.”