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Celebrate World Tourism Day with Coastal Mississippi: Friday, September 27, 2019
COASTAL MISSISSIPPI (September 26, 2019) – Join Coastal Mississippi in celebrating World Tourism Day, taking place on Friday, September 27, 2019!
World Tourism Day is commemorated each year on September 27, with celebrations led by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Its purpose is to foster awareness among the global community of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value and the contribution the sector can make in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, in line with UNWTO’s overarching focus on skills, education and jobs throughout the year, World Tourism Day will be a celebration on the topic ‘Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all’.
“This day serves as a great reminder of the importance of the travel and tourism industry to our Coastal communities, and this celebration reinforces how vital the industry is to the region and state as a whole,” said Milton Segarra, CEO of Coastal Mississippi. “Working together is the key to bringing more visitors and job opportunities to The Secret Coast, and we look forward to a future of increased visitation, deepened partnerships and broadened horizons,” said Segarra.
Coastal Mississippi accounts for one third of the State of Mississippi’s travel and tourism industry, having welcomed more than 13 million visitors in 2018. Visit Mississippi’s 2018 Tourism Economic Contribution Report shows that these visitors generated $2.12 billion in expenditures, amounting to an average of $1600 in tax relief per Coastal Mississippi household, compared to the state average of $600, according to the Mississippi Development Authority.
Tourism has always been an industry of opportunity and is an indispensable source of American jobs, many of which cannot be outsourced. Tourism is a $2.5 trillion industry in the U.S., supporting 15.7 million jobs (8.9 million directly in the travel industry and 6.8 million in other industries). According to Visit Mississippi’s 2018 Tourism Economic Contribution Report, the tri-county region accounted for 28,200 leisure and hospitality jobs in 2018, which amounts to 31.5% of the statewide total.
For more information on World Tourism Day, visit: http://wtd.unwto.org/content/wtd-2019-about-world-tourism-day.
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Coastal Mississippi is an organization charged with promoting South Mississippi as a tourism and convention destination worldwide. Its mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure, convention, sports and business visitors to the area. It is dedicated to maximizing the travel and tourism industry for South Mississippi.
Visit coastalmississippi.com to learn more.
