Page 48 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2016

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY vacation destination WELCOME TO THE
MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
Gulf Coast tourism rebounds and grows
48 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2016
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story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast
Tourism is an important sector of business and industry in South Mississippi. It suffered a one, two, three punch with Hurricane Katrina, the national recession and the BP oil spill, but is making a positive come back. In addition to businesses that rebuilt, new attractions, restaurants, hotels and casinos continue to do their part to revitalize local tourism.
“It’s amazingly healthy,” answered Renee Arang, executive director of Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast, when asked to describe the health of Coast tourism. “We have development going on all over the place and measurements are exceeding pre-Katrina numbers. We’ll always continue to promote our many assets because there are other places visitors can choose to travel.”
She points out that Jackson County is now on board as part of the Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and is 10 percent ahead of projections with its room tax. There are other positive indicators as well, including gaming revenue and hotel and housing numbers. “We’re up to 15,000 rooms now, including existing rooms and those that are in the final planning stages,” she added.
Noting that family-oriented attractions are coming back, Arang said, “We have two in-door trampoline facilities, mini golf, MGM Park, Infinity Science Center, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, the new Margaritaville, and another bowling alley to be built on Beach Boulevard. Travelers perceive us as a family destination.”
Figures released by the Regional CVB show the impact tourism has on the area.