Wet climate not slowing down tourism enterprise this summer season in South Mississippi

GULFPORT, miss. (WLOX) – Rain dampened a lot of outdoor activity on the weekend of July 4th, but between the downpours, visitors stepped out and grabbed the South Mississippi attractions.

And that’s good for the tourism industry, which is entering the second half of the season. At least two tourist attractions are starting to feel the love for a successful post-pandemic recovery.

Business at the Mississippi Coast Model Railroad Museum is doing well this summer. “People are excited to come out. The kids look forward to getting out, ”said Katherine Sutton, museum marketing coordinator. And they love the museum, they love to take the train. You have so much fun. “

Marketing coordinator Katherine Sutton said the railroad museum was busier than she thought at this point in recovery. The last few hiccups were not due to COVID.

“We were actually pleasantly surprised at how busy we are,” said Sutton. “It’s slow some days and that’s probably due to the weather. The weather has overwhelmed everyone this year with all the rain. But we’re very busy today and it’s raining cats and dogs outside. “

This is July 1st for the Mississippi Aquarium.

Jeff Clark, public relations and communications manager for the Mississippi Aquarium, said the aquarium is well on its way to numbering 300,000 people before its first anniversary on Aug. 29.

“Our numbers are great. If you were to draw a graph there would only be a steady increase, ”he said. “We started and people kept coming back. Then in March, with the spring break, we really started seeing people. And from then on it just goes on. “

It brings in visitors like Chris Downs from Carrollton, Miss.

The aquarium was his destination on this trip, but he loves everything about the area and is ready to switch from visitor to resident.

“If it were my choice, I’d move to the coast and live,” Downs said. “I like the Mississippi coast because of the older houses, the antebellum look, the big yards and everything. We were just talking about just fetching your chair and sitting in the front yard and looking out over the coast and the water. “

The visitor numbers give the operators a good feeling for this summer and the future.

“You know, we’re very pleased with our nearly first year-round opening at the Mississippi Aquarium,” said Clark. “But what we did yesterday doesn’t matter. We want to do better today and we want more people to come tomorrow. “

For more information on the Mississippi Coast Model Railroad Museum, Click here. If you want to learn more about the Mississippi Aquarium, Click here.

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