NATCHEZ &045;&045; Gift cards: they’re the gift that always fits, and they may soon be used to promote Natchez to tourists.

The Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau is exploring the possibility of partnering with Card Service International to sell Natchez gift cards via the Internet.

&uot;It’s something you’d be able to use all around Natchez&uot; at participating business,&uot; said Director of Visitor Services Connie Taunton.

Card Service International representatives will be at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center at 2 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the program with the public.

Taunton said she wants as many owners and operators of tourism-related business to show up for the meeting as possible.

&uot;And we want them to come prepared to ask questions,&uot; said Taunton, who briefed the Convention Promotion Commission on the project at its Wednesday meeting.

Among questions still unanswered Wednesday were how the company would make money from the arrangement. However, it is known that the CVB would charge a handling fee for shipping a card to a customer.

If the program is successful, Card Service International could start similar programs in other tourist markets such as Branson, Mo., Taunton said.

&uot;We’re on the leading edge of this program,&uot; she said.

The CVB’s finances showed a net loss of $14,000 in December compared to a profit of $24,824 for the same month in 2002.

That’s mostly due to timing of advertising expenses &045;&045; many of will be reimbursed with grant funds the bureau will receive later this fiscal year.

&uot;We’ll make it (the net loss) up,&uot; Tipton said following a Wednesday meeting of the Convention Promotion Commission.

Tipton told the commission restaurant tax revenues were down about $1,000 for November but are up $1,771 for the fiscal year to date.

Lodging taxes were down $800 in November and down $1,000 for the fiscal year to date.