Area Tourism Groups Land Awards

PRESS RELEASE

Vicksburg, Miss. – The Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA) presented their annual awards for tourism achievement for the year 2015 during activities at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism held at the Vicksburg Convention Center in Vicksburg, Miss. on Sept. 27-29, 2015.

The awards program recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of tourism by members of the 400+-member private sector organization as well as honoring travel media, community volunteers and governmental friends of the industry. Awards were presented in 18 categories, each focusing on a different aspect of the hospitality industry or individual achievement.

In addition to the traditional awards, MTA recognized six organizations for their contribution to tourism research.  The Research-in-Action award recipients are selected by Visit Mississippi.

“Special recognition should be given to our tourism industry leaders for their outstanding accomplishments.  We are happy to have the opportunity to honor the winners of these awards as we truly appreciate their dedication not only to our organization but to the entire tourism industry,” said Kappi Allen 2015-2016 president of MTA.

The award winners for 2015 were as follows:

1.  Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) of the Year – $0 – $249,000
Cleveland – Bolivar County Tourism Council

2.  Convention & Visitors Bureau of the Year – $250,000 to $499,000
Coahoma County Tourism Commission

3.  Convention & Visitors Bureau of the Year – $500,000 to $749,000
DeSoto County Convention & Visitors Bureau

4.  Convention & Visitors Bureau of the Year – over $750,000
Visit Hattiesburg

5.  Tourism Promotion of the Year
Tunica CVB

6.  Travel Attraction of the Year
Gateway to the Blues Museum

7.  Festival/Event of the Year – Small Festival
Indianola 35^th Annual B.B. King Homecoming Festival

8.  Festival/Event of the Year – Large Festival
Elvis’ 80^th Birthday Celebration

9.  Community Volunteer of the Year
             Bev Crossen, Tupelo, Mississippi

10.  Tourism Investment Award
John Currence – City Grocery Restaurant Group, Oxford, Mississippi

11.  Tourism Achievement Award
             Mississippi Gulf Coast Unites for Tourism

12.  MTA Member of the Year
Lyn Fortenberry of Dunleith Historic Inn, Natchez, Mississippi

13.  Social Media Campaign of the Year
“We Got It” by Tunica CVB

14.  Social Media Strategy of the Year
Vicksburg CVB

15.  Travel Media Award:  Broadcast
“Midday Mississippi” produced by WLBT

16.  Travel Media Award:  Travel Writer
             Ms. Gloria Ballard

17.  Travel Media Award:  Travel Trade Publication
             Group Travel Leader

18.  Travel Media Award:  Consumer Magazine
Delta Magazine

This year’s special Research-in-Action awards were present to:

1.  Visit Natchez for their “What does Tourism do for Natchez” overview and its distribution to area businesses as part of May 2015 National Travel and Tourism Week. Visit Natchez indicated that tourist-based entities use the services of builders, plumbers, electricians, utilities, financial services and many more.
2.  Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast for their research-based study. They update a variety of statistics and planning data on an on-going basis. Research plays a vital role in their planning and 2020 vision initiative.
3.  Yazoo County CVB because the CVB and county officials, including the tax collector, furnish data on a timely basis. This entity takes a long-term outlook on tourism by hiring summer interns.  Intern candidates must submit and present a handwritten, three-page minimum essay based upon research performed on a local tourism subject assigned by the Yazoo County CVB.
4. Corinth Area CVB for partnering with Mississippi State University Carl Small Town Center to review a feasibility study for a 49-room boutique hotel—downtown. The CVB began researching Smith Travel Research data, August 2014. They work with Main Street, which presents The World Slugburger Eating Championship.
5.  Mossy Oak Golf Club, which features a 7,400 yard, par-72 course, guest cabins and other amenities in West Point, serves as home of Mississippi State men’s and women’s golf teams.  Team clubhouse and club-repair rooms are also under construction. The new golf destination will be Nature’s Golf, a sustainable approach that preserves the local habitat while delivering a top golf experience. Research data was used to make the decision.

One entity receives a 2015 At-Large Research-In-Action Award:

This year’s Special At-Large recognition was presented to VISIT OXFORD. They produce and disseminate city-county research data regularly in an easy-to-read manner. A company that specializes in research and strategic planning assists them with various projects. A Visit Oxford staff member spent a significant amount of time assisting Visit Mississippi’s Research Program Manager with property tax data comprising several years between July 2014 and June 2015.

For more information on MTA or Mississippi tourism, visit www.visitmissisippi.org or www.mstourism.com.