From her desk at the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau at 225 Howard St., Kirstian Mapp regularly sees a little of the world as it comes through Greenwood.
The 30-year-old Itta Bena resident has worked as the hospitality coordinator for the CVB since April. She enjoys her work, which she said puts her in contact with people from around the globe.
“I greet visitors as they come in. I am the first face everybody sees,” she explained. “I also do clerical work for the office.”
“We see all kinds of people. Mostly it's tourists who come in,” she said. “So far since I’ve been here, I’ve met people from France, Holland, and Australia, and that’s just in the past couple of months.”
Many people come for the Mississippi Blues Trail, Mapp said. “They’ll come through on their way from Memphis or Clarksdale or Indianola, following the trail. You would be shocked how many blues fans there are.”
The 2011 movie “The Help” is also a big tourist draw. “People who’ve seen that movie want to see where it was filmed,” Mapp said, referring to the self-guided tour of filming locations around Greenwood.
“We have the civil rights stops,” said Mapp. “Greenwood and the Mississippi Delta are, of course, an important civil rights center, and people are interested in that aspect of history.”
Tourists also come for the Viking Cooking School, which is also located on Howard Street.
Her primary role is helping tourists find in-between stops in Greenwood since most of them have already done their research and know their areas of interest.
“Places to stay, the sights, the local food; some people come just for dinner, like at The Crystal Grill,” said Mapp, outlining the ways she directs visitors around Greenwood and Leflore County. “When they are coming from out of the country, they have an idea what they are doing already. They want to know about shopping downtown or if they missed any markers.”
She said some people, for example, don’t know about the Robert Johnson gravesite on the blues trail. Mapp fills in any missing information they may need.
“It’s interesting working through the language barrier,” she laughed. “I’ve run into some who speak some English but the accent is kind of harsh. Around here, our accent is kind of deep, too. Mine is definitely deep South, so they have an issue understanding me.”
She said she will use brochures or other visual aids such as maps “to try to figure out what their interest is, and that way I can point them in the right direction. I try and pay attention to their body language.”
Mapp worked at a loan agency and for a nonprofit agency before joining the Convention and Visitors Bureau. She graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, earning a degree in biology.
“I wanted to go into environmental science. I wanted to be in the lab,” she said. “I ended up doing something that is the opposite of that! I enjoy it. I didn’t think I would, but I do enjoy working with people.”
The number of visitors Mapp might see in a week depends on what is happening locally. The Fourth of July was a busy time as well as the recent Bikes, Blues & Bayous event, which annually pulls hundreds of visitors into Greenwood.
“We had a few tours come in from Australia,” she said of July visitors. “I think they experience some culture shock, but they love it. It’s the first time for many to have catfish. And, they love the music.”
Mapp came to the job familiar with many of Greenwood’s attractions thanks to the influence of her grandfather but did have to brush up on some things. “I think people pass us up because it’s so slow; even the local people pass us up,” Mapp said of the public’s familiarity with Greenwood history. “A lot of people don’t know that MLK (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) spoke here; they didn’t know ‘The Help’ was filmed here. But we have a good, relaxed vibe. If you want to take a vacation and get away from the city life, it’s a great place. You might have to get used to the heat, though.”
She said football season should be a busy time for her office, particularly for area homecoming events. Mapp said it is important for the area to maintain a steady influx of tourists who spend money locally.
- Contact Dan Marsh at 662-581-7235 or dmarsh@gwcommonwealth.com.
