HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – This week, industry leaders headed to the capital for Mississippi Tourism Day to celebrate the exponential growth in the industry.
The tourism industry in Mississippi has grown leaps and bounds over the years.
“When we look at the growth of Mississippi, since the pandemic, we have far exceeded where we ever thought that we would be by this moment in time,” said Visit Hattiesburg Executive Director Marlo Dorsey
Dorsey said some 43.7 million visitors come to the state of Mississippi in 2023, spending $11.5 billion.
Both numbers were the largest the state ever has seen, Dorsey said.
She added that Hattiesburg was seeing record-breaking figures as well.
“We here in Hattiesburg had $582 million in direct visitors…
















