Although it has the distinction of being commissioned by a private group, New Orleans-based consultant Stu Barash’s study is the just latest to be commissioned since the early 1990s.

Perhaps the most notable was a study conducted by the Mayor’s Tourism Task Force in 1994.

&uot;It was a very comprehensive look at tourism objectives, tourism management, quality control, infrastructure, the downtown area,&uot; said Tourism Director Walter Tipton.

Some recommendations of that study have been implemented by the public and/or private groups, including:

Building a new convention center.

Building the Natchez Visitor Reception Center.

Creating a tourism services manager position.

Creating a farmer’s market.

Licensing horse-drawn carriages.

Locating more park benches and trash receptacles downtown.

Starting a storefront renovation program.

Making improvements to Memorial Park.

Developing a downtown shopping guide.

Other recommendations are in the process of being implemented or have not yet been addressed.

One such recommendation included abolishing several public and private boards and instead creating a more comprehensive economic development agency that includes tourism.

Others included getting retailers to extend shopping hours via incentives, scheduling year-round evening entertainment, installing more downtown signage and visitor kiosks, developing a bluff area park and attracting another hotel to downtown.