The Mississippi Gulf Coast Has the Right Idea when it Comes to Increasing Tourism

I had an opportunity to visit Biloxi, Mississippi about 6 weeks ago. It had been 8 years since my last visit. Back in 2005 the Mississippi gulf coast was devastated by the Hurricane Katrina. Even now there are still visual signs of the storms devastation 6 years later. The storm not only hurt the local economy but it also hurt its tourism industry. The Mississippi gulf coast is known for its low profile casino gaming. People come from all over the world to visit the gambling Mecca of the south. All of this was threatened by Hurricane Katrina. There were many people that believed the damage from the storm was beyond recovery.

The Mississippi gulf coast was awarded funds from the U.S. government that would hopefully help it return to a state of normalcy. A large portion of these funds were allocated specifically for revitalizing the Mississippi gulf coast's tourism industry. I saw first hand how these funds were being used. The launched a campaign called, "I wish you were here." It was spearheaded by the Mississippi gulf coast visitor's bureau. When would be traveler's made plans to visit the Mississippi gulf coast if they made their reservations through the visitor's bureau they would receive a $100 prepaid credit card. They would only be eligible to receive this prepaid card if they selected one of the hotels designated by the visitor's bureau. When I arrived the front desk manager of the hotel had my $100 prepaid card waiting for me. When I signed for my card I saw a long list of about 50 other people who took advantage of this same promotion. The next thing that I had to do was activate the credit card before I could use it. This promotion was an excellent idea. Most of the visitors took those prepaid credit cards to wither eat at local restaurants or to buy souvenirs. This promotion helped stimulate the local economy. I personally made sure that I used all of the funds that were available on my card before I left the Mississippi gulf coast. More states should consider promotions like this to increase tourism. The Mississippi gulf coast litmus test for increasing tourism has been a major success. Although the $100 wish you were here prepaid credit card promotion will end in April, yet it has truly served its purpose in revitalizing the tourism industry of the Mississippi gulf coast.