Governor Tate Reeves, the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and other state legislators are aiming to capitalize on tourism momentum in the state.
Visitors spent more than $7.5 billion in the Magnolia State in the 2023 fiscal year and was 11th nationally in year-over-year visitor spending growth. Plans to improve all 25 state parks are in motion, as well as renovations to visitor centers across Mississippi.
As a part of National Tourism Week, the larger plans were outlined in an announcement to reconstruct the Commissioner Dick Hall Hospitality Station, the Mississippi welcome center in Vicksburg. Renovations will include a new 10,000 square foot, 2-story building while will provide visitors with new amenities such as a river overlook, picnic areas, and new family restrooms.
“There’s no doubt that these efforts will further strength our state’s tourism economy and result in Americans from all over the nation visiting our state,” said Governor Reeves at a press conference on Thursday.
Brad White, executive director of MDOT, said an estimated 30,000 vehicles cross state lines to and from Mississippi using I-20 in Vicksburg, which makes the visitors center one of the most frequented in all of Mississippi.
Details such as a start date for the construction and when the project is to be completed are to be released at a later date.
