Welcome, visitors. Fall Pilgrimage kicks off two weeks of tours today, with two new houses &045;&045; Selma and Gloucester &045;&045; on the schedule.

We are always glad to welcome tourists into town, and Pilgrimage &045;&045; which also coincides in October with the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race &045;&045; is no exception.

This year’s event gives residents and community leaders an opportunity to see how tourism benefits all of us &045;&045; and what changes we might need to continue to attract visitors.

In recent weeks tourism has been a topic of many conversations, with a new study released by a consultant hired by a chamber of commerce tourism committee.

We should all know by now that an industry begun in the 1930s and still going strong in our small community is doing something right. Tourism affects us all, from the homeowners and organizations who host visitors at houses to the restaurants and retail stories and convenience stores at which they shop to the rest of us who benefit from the influx of money into our economy.

So as we roll out the red carpet for our guests, we need to remember those new tourism ideas &045;&045; and many others that may have been generated over the years but not acted upon &045;&045; and figure out a way to come together and make them happen.

Only in working together will we be able to effect change and improve our industry so that we all continue to benefit.