Gulfport Celebrates National Tourism Day

Travel and tourism is being celebrated today nationwide and Gulfport decided to have a little celebration of their own.

City officials and friends gathered at the Gulfport Welcome Center to celebrate. Members of the Audubon Mississippi Coastal Bird Stewardship Program and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Retiree Partnership were on hand for the celebration as well.

Gulfport wanted to take this day to make sure visitors know they appreciate them taking time to come out and visit the Gulf Coast. Gulfport Economic Development Director David Parker said, “The U.S. Travel Association deems this week very important because it’s when kids are getting out of school and the travel season across the country begins. Here in Gulfport, tourism is 27 percent of our economy. Coast-wide we have 5.8 million people that visited the Coast last year and that has a total economic impact of $1.8 billion to the Coast.”

The Gulfport Welcome Center is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.