Reports - Mississippi Renewal

78 | TOURISMTOURISMTourism has long been acentral component of theeconomic, social, and culturallife of Mississippi andparticularly of the MississippiCoast. Prior to 1992, however,the state’s tourist industry fought forattention – and dollars – in a highlycompetitive market. Major destinationattractions in Florida, Georgia, Alabama,Louisiana, and Texas draw millions ofvisitors each year to the South and GulfRegion, but Mississippi’s limited tourismpromotion budget and unfocusedmessage did not keep pace with itscompetitors.The 1992 launch of the gaming industryin Mississippi changed that pace,giving a new identity to the state andmaking Mississippi the third largestgaming market in the United States.The out-migration of shopping dollarsto New Orleans and Mobile wasreversed as more New Orleans andMobile shoppers came to South Mississippifor a day of shopping and visitingits many attractions. 1 With its existingbeaches and family attractions andthe addition of casinos, the MississippiCoast was ideally positioned to fuel atourism industry that grew to the numbertwo private-sector job generator inthe state. Gaming, according to a 2004survey conducted for the MississippiCoast Convention and Visitors Bureau(CVB), was the primary draw for 75percent of visitors. 2Before the hurricane, total state jobsdirectly connected with tourism wereapproaching 100,000. Total spending bymore than 30 million visitors in 2004surpassed $6 billion, and communitiesmost frequented by tourists enjoyedhigher rates of employment. 3 Unemploymentin the Gulfport-Biloxi metroarea in 2004 was 4.1 percent, 4 compared