JACKSON - Two million more people visited Mississippi last year than in each of the past two years, and many are coming for different reasons and staying longer, according to new state figures.
Thirty-four million people came to Mississippi for a visit in 2000, up from 32 million in both 1998 and 1999, Darienne Wilson, the state's director of tourism, told a gathering of tourism professionals Tuesday.
Wilson spoke at the 2001 Tourism Summit, which was sponsored by her office to give an overview of the state of tourism in Mississippi and discuss initiatives to attract more people.
Some projects in the works in the coming year: a film-location tour that would highlight the state's noted movie settings and a golf trail similar to one in Alabama that would include several of Mississippi's premier courses.
The state tourism office also will begin helping cities trying to attract sports-related events such as youth baseball and soccer tournaments.
"That's really important to non-gaming areas," Wilson said. "A soccer tournament for 8 to 12 year olds may not want to go to Tunica but they may want to go to Tupelo."
Tunica, in northwest Mississippi, is home to several casinos, which are not allowed across the state in Tupelo. Other casinos are south of Tunica on the Mississippi River and along the Gulf Coast.
According to the new figures released at Tuesday's gathering, the average length of stay for visitors increased from 3.3 days in 1998 to 3.7 days in 2000. Overnight leisure visitors increased from 10 million two years ago to 12.4 million in 2000.
In addition, the average annual household income of tourists visiting Mississippi jumped from $48,300 in 1998 to $58,350 in 2000.
"The changing income level means we're getting a bit more of an upscale visitor, and that's what our ads were designed to do," Wilson said.
The purpose of visits has changed too. In 1998, Wilson said, the main reason cited by visitors was to see friends and relatives. Last year, most people were coming for a weekend getaway.
"You sell people what they want provided you have the products they're looking for," said Steve Richer, director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Mississippi has more and more products that people want to buy."
Because of statewide budget cuts, however, selling Mississippi as an attraction has become more difficult, Wilson said.
Earlier this year, the state Legislature reduced the annual budget for the Division of Tourism Development by $2.5 million, from $8.9 million to $6.4 million.
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