WLOX-TV and WLOX.com - The News for South MississippiSouth Mississippi is open for business

South Mississippi is open for business

By Jessica Bowman – email

HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - The Mississippi Gulf Coast Tourism Commission wants people near and far to know the Gulf Coast is open for business.

Casinos are preparing for Saints fans to make their way down and will find out there is plenty of room because snow birds are few and far between this year.

From Saints fans to snow birds, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, Richard Forester, said all are welcome.

"Come on over here to the gulf coast we'll take care of you," Richard Forester said.

With Super Bowl XLIV just days away, the tourism commission hopes South Mississippi will be home to many Who Dat crowds.

"You get some that are coming to the casino to watch the game, but it creates people really wanting to celebrate," Harrison County Tourism Commissioner Jon Lucas said.

Lucas is also the IP Casino Resort and Spa General Manager. He said his casino is preparing for big crowds Super Bowl Sunday since the house was packed for the NFC Championship game.

"We had overflow crowd in our sports bar, which caused us to have to open up some other bars," said  Lucas.

Lucas said this has been a slow year for snow birds. He said the Tourism Commission must continue making it known that South Mississippi is back in business.

"We are constantly looking at what we can do to drive tourism to the area and certainly the snow birds are a piece of it."

Lucas said the Tourism Commission currently is working on plans dealing with the PGA's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic that will be held in South Mississippi later in the year.

©2010 WLOX. All rights reserved.