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This time next week, we should hear the happy sound of a melody piping up from Natchez Under the Hill from steamboat calliopes.

Many of us have missed that sound — and more importantly, missed the sight of the gorgeous boats docked at Natchez since COVID-19 cancellations ended their Natchez tours early last year.

Each boat brings hundreds of tourists to Natchez, which means more patrons in the shops and more visitors to historic homes.

The first of the boats, the American Queen Steamboat Company’s American Duchess, is expected to be docking at Natchez on March 18 followed by the American Countess on March 23.

The American Cruise Lines’ American Jazz is expected to arrive March 24 and the Queen of the Mississippi on March 30.

We couldn’t be more excited to see these boats back in Natchez and welcome the visitors aboard them, especially with Spring Pilgrimage underway — which has traditionally been the city’s busiest time for tourism.

Last year, the City of Natchez — which relies on its hospitality industry for a huge chunk of its revenue — lost a lot of those tourism dollars.

We hope this year our businesses will open responsibly to show these visitors a wonderful Natchez experience.