Seventeen years ago, I was appointed chair of the Senate Tourism Committee by the then Lt. Governor Phil Bryant.
I did not know much about tourism other than having been a tourist on numerous occasions, so I decided to find out what I could. While attending a workshop that year, I was interested to learn that the Pennsylvania Dutch area is a huge tourism draw. The speaker was a person from that part of the country, and he was comparing that area with rural Mississippi.
He elaborated that Mississippi has good roadways and similar small towns with plenty of local charm. One thing he noted was the cooperation among the small Pennsylvania communities in promoting one another.
When traveling throughout the Amish countryside, neighboring towns advertise not only the attractions in their own town, but also promote the attractions “just down the road”.
My proposal is that we do something similar in our part of Mississippi. The historic murals that are being painted in Duck Hill, Carrollton, North Carrollton, Vaiden, and Winona are examples of a starting point for getting tourists from Interstate 55 and on to our streets.
Another idea that appeals to tourists is houses of worship. We have many beautiful and historic churches along the Highway 82-51 corridors that could appeal to tourists. Most tourists who come to small towns are doing some sort of genealogical research. Some visit county courthouses and cemeteries to find information about ancestors. Many wish to see the church where their ancestors were baptized, married, or worshiped during their lifetimes.
When I taught, I often led groups of students on trips to Europe over spring break. Inevitably, one of the first places we would visit in a city or town would be the church or cathedral. Many of them are hundreds of years old, but they are still a source of great pride to the citizens and offer a look into the lives of the people who have lived in those areas. While our houses of worship are not as old as those, they still tell the stories of the people who built them and their communities.
I recently read that Ireland and Africa are the two most visited countries by Americans for ancestry travel. In a world where we are in constant motion with very little neighborhood interaction, finding out about our family heritage has become almost a national obsession.
Mississippi’s historic sites are ripe for exploration and our two historic museums in Jackson and our Civil War Park in Vicksburg stay busy year-round.
Our area doesn’t have blockbuster exhibits, but we have a big impact with the historic and music markers in our area.
I say in my presentations to civic groups that 100% of tourists eat. The good news is that Mississippi has some of the very best food in the country. I have often thought that a clever marketing tool would be to publish a guide to good service station food and make it available in a mobile app.
Anyone who loves fried chicken knows that the humblest grocery store deli or the local convenience store serves up some fine plate lunches and fried chicken. Having traveled all over the world, I can assure you that the best food to be had anywhere is here in Mississippi.
These are some of my thoughts on rural communities and tourism and these are things I hope we can explore as we develop our plans in and around the Winona area.
