TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS COOPERATIVE INITIATIVES

TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS

Travel Industry Partnerships & Cooperative Initiatives

Jackson, Mississippi is the Capital City of the state of Mississippi. Its geographical location is unique because it’s in the center of the state and the center of the Capital Region. The ability to host conventions, meetings, and events in the Capital City utilizing larger meeting and event space is fortified by the availability to encompass brand lodging, dining, and shopping partnerships with its surrounding bedroom communities.

GOALS

• Continue to establish opportunities associated with CATA and other regional tourism efforts and marketability; • Establish creative and innovative collaborations resulting in industry coalitions with positive image and demand solutions. • Explore and create collaborations outside of the traditional tourism industry with the propensity to strengthen the destination holistically. • Secure non-traditional partnerships to minimize the cost of local event transportation, and to promote transportation offerings to locals and visitors. • Increase Jackson’s visibility based on the demographics of the airport by managing the information area and driving travelers to focus on hotels, restaurants, and attractions in Jackson • Continue to host and grow the annual

Capital Area Tourism Summit

TACTICS

• Execute programming resulting in the strengthening of its alliance with the Capital Area Tourism Association (CATA) positing the Capital Region as a destination city. • Craft a marketing strategy enhancing opportunities to the demand for the Capital Area as a meeting, convention, and sporting destination; • Develop and submit a membership platform considering establishing marketing opportunities and resource expansion to the Visit Jackson Board of Directors; • Create a transportation partnership between

Jackson State University, Smith Wills Stadium, and the Department of Transportation Mobility drivers to provide enhanced transportation options for sporting events. • Partner with JTRAN, Amtrak, and Greyhound providing transportation information on the

Visit Jackson website, as well as beautification opportunities. • Partner with Jackson Municipal Airport Authority to promote Jackson hotels, attractions, and restaurants • Set up information booths for qualifying events at Baggage Claims • Manage the Information area at JMAA five days a week • Create new branding markers across Jackson’s major venues • Increase marketing opportunities for Jackson attractions to supplement advertising budgets • Continue to work with the Mississippi Destination

Marketing Organization on lobbying efforts • Develop strategies for future implementation of a Jackson Sports Commission • Continue ongoing partnerships with community organizations that focus on marginalized groups, including but not limited to the Human Rights

Campaign of Mississippi, unhoused organizations, and local Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion groups.