The economic glow of “The Help” hasn’t diminished with the passage of time.
The Academy Award winning film generated an estimated $13 million economic impact when it was shot in Greenwood over three months in 2010, and it has continued to draw tourists to the city since its release a year ago.
“We’re still getting people. People want to come and see where the movie was made,” said Paige Hunt, executive director of the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau.
At least 22 group tours came through Greenwood in the 12-month span ending June 30, primarily because of the movie’s buzz, Hunt said.
Some of the groups are even making return visits because they had so much fun, Hunt said.
The success is something other towns want to replicate: Hunt will be appearing at the Mississippi-Louisiana Regional Tourism Summit this week to discuss the film’s lasting impact on Greenwood’s economy.
Lisa Reed, wife of Tupelo Mayor Jack Reed Jr., helped lead a group of 38 women who are part of the World Presidents Organization on a bus tour of Mississippi that included a stop in Greenwood. Peggy Schloegel, wife of Gulfport Mayor George Schloegel, co-chaired the October trip.
The group visited Oxford, Greenwood and Tupelo, delving into the state’s rich heritage of literature, blues and Elvis.
For the Delta leg of the journey, which included an overnight stay in The Alluvian, the group enlisted the aid of Luther Brown, director of Delta State University’s Delta Center for Culture and Learning, who acted as tour guide.
A tour of the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola was followed by a welcome from Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams at The Alluvian.
The next morning, Hunt boarded the bus and showed the women “The Help” shooting locations.
Reed, a native of Birmingham, Ala., said the trip gave her a deeper understanding of Mississippi’s rich, diverse culture. She said Greenwood’s hospitality made the short trip a memorable event, and she praised Hunt and McAdams.
“They could not have been more helpful. ... All I did was call. They made it happen,” she said.
In addition to tour groups, Hunt said the popularity of the movie has been a “great pull” for regional travelers who might have come to Greenwood for some other occasion, such as a Viking Cooking School class or to participate in Bikes, Blues & Bayous or the 300 Oaks Road Race.
The day trips also bring an economic benefit to the city.
“You’re not going to come for the day and not spend any money. These groups, these buses, they are eating in our restaurants. Nine times out of 10 they are shopping,” she said.
Hunt said she believes there are two main drivers of “The Help” tourism — devotees of the novel, written by Kathryn Stockett, and fans of “female-centric” dramas.
The fact that food plays such a prominent role in the film is a plus for Greenwood, Hunt said.
“When you think about it, food is what brings the characters together to begin with. It all starts with food,” she said.
Even before cameras started rolling in Greenwood, “we were already marketing ourselves to visitors as a culinary community. So it was a real easy tie-in,” Hunt said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
