JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA) announced that statewide tourism had a $7 billion impact on the state economy in 2021.
MTA leaders announced the following details on Wednesday:
- Mississippi welcomed 23.4 million visitors in 2021.
- Visitors spent $6.7 billion in local economies.
- Visitors generated $677 million in state and local taxes.
- Visitors spent 19% more in 2021 than they did in 2020.
- Mississippi ranked #1 nationwide for tourism recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The data from 2021 was presented at MTA’s annual Tourism Day at the Capitol. Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, Speaker of the house Philip Gunn and representatives from marketing organizations, chambers of commerce, hotels, gaming, restaurants, attractions and other hospitality sectors attended the event.
“Mississippi has so much to offer our visitors. We have beautiful natural resources and a rich cultural history that has contributed a lot to our nation. Tourism provides the conduit to share this legacy with the world in a positive way,” said Hosemann.