The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-05-12
STATE PUTS HOSPITALITY
TO WORK In TOURIST BID

Mississippi will put a good old
Southern tradition to work in May
with a Hospitality Month OBJ
servance designed to give the tour
St and visitor to the Magnolia
State a more glamorous and gen.
uine welcome.
The entire month will be set
aside by proclamation of Governor
Fielding l.. Wright as a time dur
ing which Mississippians may take
stock of their historical, scenic and
recreational assets and get better
acquainted with the growing
stream OF visitors who are heading
south.
The tourists Importance to the
state from both an economic and
public relations standpoint will be
emphasized during the 31-day pc
Rod. Mississippians in all fields
from the service station attendant
who greets the visitor first on
down the line-will be urged to
take inventory of their tourist adj
vantages and organize for a clean
up of premises, a brush-up on serv-
ice, and q study-up of area and
state attractions.
The tourists Importance to the
state economically is readily seen
in estimates of the dollar volume
of this industry. For instance, per-
sonal expenditures for travel, "a
cations and related industries in
the nation are expected to reach
the staggering total of approx
mately $40 billion in the three
years of 1913 through 1850.
1t is roughly estimated that Mis-
sissippi's potential share OF this
major business will amount to
$500, 900, 900 a year.
In recent years the volume of
motorists, vacationers and sight
seers in Mississippi has steadily in
creased, largely through the pro-
motional program of the Missis-
sippi Agricultural and Industrial
Board in cooperation with the
e and towns of the state.
Advertising, publicity, photo
graphs, posters, travel show dis
plays, literature, tours for travel
writer's and various other means
have been used effectively to at
tract people to Mississippi from
other sections of America.
Records OF the A. & l. Board
show that many Of these satisfied
visitors not only r making re-
peat visits but are selling Missis-
sippi at home by word of mouth.
This agency now is taking its
travel promotion program to the
grass roots in an effort to get
tourists to stay longer and come
back more often.
The program, which started
March LIST with organization of
communities and service trades
throughout the state, reaches its
climax in May.
The detectives of the program
r six-fold:
/. Creation OF a statewide con-
seriousness Of Mississippi's OPP
portunities and responsibility
ties in developing increased
tourist and recreation bust
ness.
2. Creation of tangible goals to-
wards which Mississippi COM
munities and other interested
organizations. agencies and
groups can work in develop
ing this business.
5. Coordination between COM
munities end other interest
ed groups.
4. Lengthening OF the regular
summer vacation season in
Mississippi.
8. Securing favorable national
publicity which calls atten-
tion to Mississippi's tourist
attractions.
9. Promotion Of Missfssfppi's
advantages for location OF in
dustry by hufiding civic
pride. alertness and interest
AMI by favorably impressing
business ana Industrial lead
z who may be mentioning
II Mississippi. and by favor
ably impressing business and
industrial leaders through