JACKSON - Mississippi's new economic development director says it's shouldn't take extra funding to elevate tourism to the state's No. 1 service industry.
"We've got good stuff that we can do within the constraints we presently have," said Leland Speed, who was appointed state economic development director by Gov. Haley Barbour.
Speed, who spoke Wednesday to a Mississippi Tourism Association legislative luncheon, said that health care is currently the top service industry.
"Tourism is the biggest industry in the world … it's not the biggest industry in Mississippi, though," Speed said. "With the raw materials that we have to work with in the state, shame on all of us if we don't make it first. The challenge is how we are going to get there."
State Sen. Mike Chaney, R-Vicksburg, said without money it will be difficult to expand the tourism industry.
"The problem has not been the MDA," Chaney said. "The problem has usually been the allocation of dollars to develop tourism. I'm from Vicksburg, so I understand the value of tourism and the tourism dollar."
Vicksburg's attractions include gambling boats along the Mississippi River and a national military park.
Speed already sees the need to tinker with the structure of the MDA. After a visit to a Welcome Center near Meridian, he called the supervisor to complain about the center's restroom. The supervisor told him restroom cleanliness was handled by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, although the centers are operated by MDA.
"We've got it structured where this person who is responsible for the center hasn't got the authority to resolve the problems that might come up there," Speed said.
"That's just sort of the thing we want to do in our entire organization," he said. "Wherever this exists, we want to give folks the authority along with the responsibility to do the job."
Speed said there's widespread interest in the state's heritage. He said several years ago, he met a young man from New Zealand who was excited about visiting Hazlehurst because it was the birthplace of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson.
"This young man opened my eyes," Speed said.
Speed said he expects "fascinating" ideas to emerge from a recently created blues commission that will market the Mississippi Delta as a tourist destination for music enthusiasts.
About 90,000 people visit Mississippi each day, according to the MTA. The industry's 93,000 employees generated nearly $500 million in state tax revenues last year, said MTA President Beth Carriere.
"Once the session begins, we'll be meeting with all of the lawmakers to reinforce the importance of tourism," Carriere said. "There's no giant effort that we're going to hound them on."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
