Columbus Lands Host Role For Tourism Conference

Columbus, Mississippi has been awarded the Mississippi-Alabama Tourism Conference for 2016. Recognizing that tourism is a vital part of a community’s economic development, the Mississippi-Alabama Rural Tourism Conference is a collaborative effort focused on assisting smaller communities in bolstering tourism. Dynamic speakers present innovative ideas and relevant information that attendees will find useful in facing the unique challenges of promoting rural tourism with limited budgets. This annual conference is hosted alternately between Alabama and Mississippi, however anyone associated with or interested in the rural tourism industry is invited to attend. The Mississippi State University Extension Service, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Tennessee-Tombigbee Tourism Association, MS Main Street Association, and Mississippi Development Authority, Division of Tourism are all part of the long list of sponsors in this important partnership.

“I am thrilled that Columbus will host this event in 2016,” stated Nancy Carpenter, CEO of Visit Columbus. “This is an honor for our great city to be chosen and it will be a wonderful way to showcase ‘The City That Has It All’ to participants of the conference.”