The new Marion County Tourism Committee had their first meeting at the Marion County Development Partnership to go over the Tourism Survey that was recently conducted and to begin the work of determining the best solutions for bringing more visitors to our area and establishing the goals, mission, and priorities of the committee.  Tourism is a rapidly growing industry that brought in over $5.5 billion dollars to the State of Mississippi last year.  If developed here, tourism could provide a substantial income boost for our local merchants, restaurants, services, and accommodations, in addition to increased tax revenues for the city and county.

The Tourism Survey that was presented to the committee lists the ideas of a broad variety of local citizens, civic leaders, and business owners about what they believe are the best ways to increase tourism in our area.  The ideas have been divided into categories such as Historical Attractions, Entertainment, Recreational Attractions, and Downtown Improvements.  The survey includes a list of current attractions in Marion County, such as the Recreational Railroad, the Marion County Museum, the John Ford Home, the Columbia Water Park, and Pearl River Airboat Adventures, among others. Some of the suggested ideas presented in the survey include a list of effective marketing avenues, special events and festivals, and a list of possible businesses that might improve our area’s potential as a tourist destination.

“The fundamental mission of the Marion County Tourism Committee is to explore creative ways to attract visitors to Marion County, to increase outside awareness of our area, and to develop and implement a plan to turn our community into a marketable tourist destination to enhance the social and economic growth of the area.”  is the new Tourism Committee’s Mission Statement.  The committee’s current Vision Statement states, “The Tourism Committee envisions a Marion County that preserves its cultural heritage and historical value and generates economic prosperity through local tourism.”

The development of a successful tourism economy in Marion County will depend on contributions from the corporate, private, and public sectors.  If you have any ideas or resources that may contribute to our local tourism economy or attract visitors to our area, please get them to the MCDP Tourism Committee, or you can leave your ideas in the comments section of this article.

Tags: MCDP, Parks, Tourism, Travel

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