Consider This: Working Together for Tourism

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - This is National Travel and Tourism Week and as the spotlight shines on the industry, local tourism agencies are joining forces to bring more people to the area and help the region rebound after being hard hit by the pandemic.

Canton Tourism, Visit Jackson, Visit Ridgeland and Vicksburg Tourism are now in a partnership they are calling the Capital Area Tourism Association.

It is a common sense, collaborative idea.

Instead of competing, the groups are taking the unique offerings of each community to improve the ability to recruit visitors and offer a better experience for those guests.

“I think it’s important that we don’t feel like we are competing against each other. Vicksburg has amazing things that Jackson doesn’t, and Jackson has things that Ridgeland does not have. So, coming together and bringing people to Mississippi in general is going to benefit everyone.”

Many tourism organizations across the country partner together to promote an entire region and have much success. This is a great first step in implementing that strategy here.

As these four groups work together and fine-tune the process, hopefully other groups in the region will join CATA. It would be great to see Madison, Flowood, Brandon, Clinton and other metro communities participate in the program.

The entire metro offers lots of opportunities and working together to share the best-of-the-best to recruit visitors, conferences and conventions will benefit the entire region.

As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all ships, and with more tourism dollars spent in the region, that will mean more revenue for the businesses that call Central Mississippi home.

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