Stone County celebrates an increase in tourism

It’s National Travel and Tourism Week and Stone County has a reason to celebrate.
The Dizzy Dean Welcome Center was spinning with festivities this morning in Wiggins, celebrating the economic impact Stone County has received in the past year from visitors. According to the Mississippi Development Authority, tourism dollars have increased by 2.5 percent. Figures released show an impact of nearly $13 million from visitors enjoying Stone County.
The key note speaker says tourists visiting the area are never at a loss at what to do, that goes for Stone County as well as Mississippi’s five other coastal counties. Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area Director Rhonda Price said, “There’s always historic homes, museums, vast rivers and creeks to kayak and hike along. So, I think this is a wonderful opportunity to let other people outside of Mississippi and even inside of Mississippi to tell their story, to create this sense of place that we have all come so proud to be a part of.”
The event highlighted the DeSoto National Forest, Flint Creek reservoir, the water way district and various campgrounds within the county.