Ocean Springs Unveiling App to Increase Tourism

Soon, the City of Ocean Springs will have a new way to get connected. Dining, nightlife, and shopping are just some of the things that will be available on a new app that will help connect tourists and residents to everything Ocean Springs has to offer, and local businesses are looking forward to it.

Brandon Atwell, owner of Murky Waters Blues & BBQ, says, "We’re excited about the app. We’re hoping it brings more people downtown, and just to the city in general, so anything that will help with that we’re in favor of."

The app would provide a full directory of all shopping, dining, nightlife, and lodging with hopes of bringing more tourism to Ocean Springs. Arturo Barajas, owner of Magnolia Studios, says, "We have a ‘near me’ button, where anyone that is staying at any hotel, they can press that ‘near me’ button and it’s going to show them all the options for food, shopping, dining, nightlife that they can find around there."

The new app will be linked to the city’s website and will allow web, blog, event calendar, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn updates all from one easy to use location. John Gill, Ocean Springs Alderman for Ward 1, says, "That’s probably the best part about it. It’s easy access to all of our restaurants and events happening in Ocean Springs."

Atwell closes, "Especially when you can get all the restaurants on one app. Everybody has different apps here and there, and they do different forms of advertising, so it’s good to centralize all the restaurants and businesses into one app."

The app will be free of charge and is expected to be available to download for iPhone and Android devices in early June.