With all the new hotels, casinos, and new events coming online, Natchez, now more than ever, needs to be marketed to areas where a lack of funds have prevented it from being marketed in the past.

The big questions around this issue are “how and where will this money be spent, and who will oversee where the money will go?” The answers are quite simple. It will be spent to advertise in publications in which the Convention and Visitors Bureau has always wanted to advertise, yet couldn’t afford.

As legislated, the new marketing and advertising funds created by hotel occupancy assessment will be spent to market Natchez. The CVB hopes to advertise on radio and television; mediums we’ve never been able to afford, in major markets within driving distance such as Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, Birmingham, Houston, and other nearby markets. Dollars will be spent to create promotional materials to send to tour operators and tour bus companies. Money will be used to take advantage of the technological tools available on the Internet, technology that people use to make travel plans. We hope to produce video material to be used on Web sites like You Tube and other sites that can then be downloaded onto personal electronic devices, and perhaps then used as a walking tour tool once in Natchez.

The funds will be monitored and administered by the Natchez Tourism Marketing Committee once it is formed, which shall consist of the following: three members of the lodging industry; two members from the restaurant/food and beverage industry; one member from Natchez Pilgrimage Tours; one member from the business community at large to be recommended by the Natchez Chamber; one member from each of the casinos; one member from the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture; one member from the Natchez Historic Foundation; and one member from the Natchez Business and Civic League.

The parameters for the formation the Natchez Tourism Marketing Committee have been set forth by the Mississippi State Legislature and by law must be followed. There is indeed an existing marketing plan that is followed annually, and a new marketing plan will be forthcoming once the required formation of the Natchez Tourism Marketing Committee is complete.

There are a large number of markets that remain untapped for Natchez, not only in the United States, but in the European, Asian and other foreign markets as well.

Foreign travel to the United States is beginning to enjoy resurgence in the fading wake of 9-11, and through the present strength of the Euro to the U.S. dollar, and Natchez needs to be well positioned to capture whatever portions of those travelers we possibly can.

Heritage Tourism is growing at a rapid pace across the country as well, and Natchez is beginning to see an increasing number of African-American tourists through its current advertising efforts. This trend will surely continue as a larger number of black attractions come into existence around Natchez over the next few years. At present, the CVB advertises in two black travel publications, Black Meetings and Tourism, and Pathfinder Magazine, but there are a number of other travel trade magazines in which we need to advertise to generate flow from the heritage seeker market.

Natchez has been attempting to market itself broadly on an annual budget of $100,000, which I’m sure you can ascertain from what I’ve divulged, doesn’t go very far at all.

That includes daily mailings of requested material at an average cost of $1.55 per inquiry, with printed materials and ever increasing postage. The CVB mails out an average of 100-150 information packets a week to individual inquiries, and an average of four to five group (30 people or more) inquiry mailings a month. I’ll let you do the math on that one.

So, when you see the resolution for the hotel occupancy assessment choices fee on the June 3 general election ballot, think about the jobs at stake: the new jobs created by the new hotels and casinos, the new jobs at the new Office Depot and other new businesses that are opening around town. Think about the increases in income that could come to all industry related personnel as a result of increased traffic to Natchez, which would also result in increased tax revenue to the city to provide more and improved public services. As more people come to Natchez, more business opportunities will come available, thus more jobs and so on. What a great snowball effect to have.

The majority of hotel, restaurant and bed and breakfast operators of Natchez are very much in support of the legislation because they are very much aware that Natchez must be made known to the world, and thus not remain the South’s best kept secret.

If you have questions please visit the CVB blog site and we will be happy to provide you with answers. Log onto www.natcheznews.blogspot.com. Vote for the assessment when you make your mark on the June 3 ballot, it’s a vote for a brighter future for Natchez.

Sally Durkin works with the Natchez Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.