Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

“What’s Your M-O?” It’s not just a question, it’s at the heart of the successful Visit Missouri integrated communications campaign.According to Strategic Marketing and Research Incorporated (SMARI), the campaign generated $884 million in incremental visitor spending in the state of Missouri in 2022.
The Missouri Division of Tourism (MDT) and its agency partner, Osborn Barr Paramore (OBP), created the campaign, which has been recognized with more than 30 awards to date. Most recently, the work won platinum, gold, silver and bronze awards at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) prestigious Adrian Awards honoring the best in hospitality advertising, digital, PR/communications and integrated campaigns.
“The creativity of this campaign has allowed us to showcase the variety the state of Missouri offers visitors in a unique and personal way,” said Stephen Foutes, director of the Missouri Division of Tourism.
The campaign was shortlisted as a finalist for the 2022 World Advertising Research Center (WARC) Awards for Effectiveness, North America Edition, in the Sustained Growth category. The U.S. Travel Association honored the work with an Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) award. The Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) awarded the campaign with the first-ever Cheryl Schutz Award for Destination Marketing and Research Excellence. This award recognizes an individual or Destination Marketing Organization for research that resulted or contributed to key decisions that helped promote travel and tourism within their destination and the industry. The campaign also earned two Telly awards for excellence in video and television.On a regional level, the campaign received a Mid-America EMMY award, several regional American Advertising Federation (AAF) awards and multiple silver and gold honors by the St. Louis AAF.
The “What’s Your M-O?” campaign features “Mo,” a genial tour guide that embodies Missouri and all the state has to offer. Just as different people seek different experiences on vacations, there’s a different Mo for everyone’s M-O (modus operandi). Learn more about the campaign here.ADVERTISEMENTThe campaign has generated more than 2 billion impressions and 138 million social engagements through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and 4.8 million website visits to VisitMo.com. New advertising for the campaign debuted in February 2023.

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Vietnam’s tourism industry is well prepared to welcome more visitors, however, companies remain cautious in their business outlook due to the uncertainty caused by the absence of key markets and labor shortages, according to local tourism businesses at the four-day Vietnam International Travel Mart starting on Thursday in Hanoi.
STRONG RESUMPTION OF DOMESTIC TRAVEL
Vietnam’s domestic tourism experienced impressive growth last year, serving 101.3 million locals, 168.3 percent higher than an official target and above the previous peak of 85 million in pre-pandemic 2019, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic made Vietnamese holidaymakers turn their attention inwards, exploring the treasure trove of travel opportunities at home rather than venturing abroad, said tour operators.
However, the pandemic has also left an impact on travel habits as local tourists want to be well-protected. They are traveling in smaller groups and to the places closer to their home, Ly Truong Xuan, marketing manager at Hanoi-based Vietnamtourism told Xinhua.ADVERTISEMENTHe was cautious over a four-fold surge in the number of COVID-19 cases over the past week, with the capital of Hanoi recording the most cases.
Besides, soaring transportation costs, especially airfares, which greatly add to travel expenses, would make domestic tourists think twice before booking trips, the marketing executive added.
Vietnam is slated to raise the fare caps on domestic airlines by an average 3.75 percent in the second half of this year after the Civil Aviation Administration said fuel prices, among other expenses, have been eating away at local airlines’ profitability.
Despite a cautious outlook, the domestic tourism market has rebounded strongly, as the government statistics revealed that total sales at retailers and service revenues in the first three months were higher than an annual expansion of 12.6 percent in the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
Restaurant and accommodation revenues during the January-March period totaled 6.84 billion U.S. dollars, up 28.4 percent from a year ago, while tourism revenues more than doubled from a year earlier to nearly 289 million dollars, said the General Statistic Office.PREPARING FOR THE RISE OF CHINESE TOURISTS
Regarding the international market, 2022 saw some growth compared to the tough years of the pandemic, but the results failed to either reach the target or measure up to pre-pandemic levels.
Vietnam’s tourism peaked in 2019, when the country welcomed 18 million international arrivals, earning more than 30.2 billion U.S. dollars, according to the General Statistics Office.
Then COVID-19 struck, plunging the number of foreign tourists to 3.8 million in 2020, which shrank to 157,300 in 2021. Last year, the Southeast Asian country received nearly 3.7 million arrivals, around 20 percent of the pre-pandemic levels despite being one of the first Southeast Asian countries to fully reopen its doors to foreign visitors.
However, Vietnam’s tourism recovery is expected to accelerate considerably after recording tepid growth from key markets, especially China.

“We have prepared to roll out several packages to entice visitors, but the number of Chinese visitors booking experiences in Vietnam is still lower than the corresponding period prior to the pandemic,” said the marketing executive with Vietnamtourism.
Chinese tourists make up a vast portion of the total arrivals in Vietnam, and their higher spending power provides a significant boost to the destinations they choose to visit, he said.
As Chinese tourists return in greater numbers, they will play a crucial role in the recovery of the tourism industry, said Duong Thanh Phuong, chief executive of 5-star Annova Hotel in Vietnam’s south-central province of Khanh Hoa.
Khanh Hoa, among the country’s most popular tourist destinations, welcomed over 2.5 million Chinese tourists, making up more than 70 percent of the coastal province’s international arrivals in 2019, statistics from the Department of Tourism showed.
Before the pandemic, China was obviously the biggest source of tourist arrivals in the beach city of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province, said Phuong.
The lure of beaches, combined with the convenience of direct flights, large accommodation capacity of hotels and luxury resorts, and high-quality services, brought an increasing number of Chinese tourists to the province, he added.
Local tourism companies at the annual Vietnam International Travel Mart said they embraced the opportunities brought by Chinese tourists to position themselves for long-term growth in the increasingly competitive travel industry.
As the world’s largest tourism market, it will take some time for China to get back up to its full capacity, said the hotel chief executive, forecasting of a full rebound from Chinese tourists by the end of this year.

LABOR SHORTAGES HOLD BACK RECOVERY
As the Southeast Asian country is on track to welcome more tourists, targeting to receive 8 million foreign arrivals and earning about 27 billion U.S. dollars in revenue this year, tourism operators are finding it hard to recruit enough workers, especially high-skilled staff, to meet the expected demand.
Vietnam’s tourism sector is among the world’s hardest-hit as the country saw almost one third of all job losses occur in the industry, according to the International Labor Organization.
During the pandemic, airlines, tour operators, hotels and restaurants let go of staff who then decided to leave the sector for good, said the National Administration of Tourism, adding that 44 percent of workers with 5-10 years of experience and 90 percent of those with graduate degrees moved into other areas less affected by the pandemic.
After the pandemic, companies had little time to scale up their capacity before a rush of interest from both domestic and international markets.
“So now we are desperately in need of workers,” said Annova Hotel’s chief executive.
It has been a struggle for companies to recruit the staff back and re-train them, he said.
“This will take time, and it is not the problem that can be solved in one or two months,” he stressed but hoped that thing would be back to normal by the end of this year.
Staff shortages are forcing owners of hotels, bars, restaurants and travel agencies in Vietnam to offer better pay for full-time workers responsible for multiple tasks, recruit more seasonal semi-qualified or unqualified workers and cut services, local media reported.
It requires the recruitment of full-time devoted workers, not part-time simple positions, with a focus on training to equip them with field experience, since services quality holds the key to the sustainable growth of the industry to draw high-spending and long-stay visitors, said the hotel chief executive.
Source: Xinhua

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A new report from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) revealed total economic output related to visitor spending reached a record $79.3 billion in 2022, a 24.7 percent increase from the previous record set in 2019.
The annual Economic Impact of Southern Nevada’s Tourism Industry report outlines economic impacts associated with the region’s tourism industry and convention travel, including visitor spending on rooms, dining, shopping, sports, local transportation and other activities and amenities.
Las Vegas, as a tourist destination, has experienced dramatic growth in recent years with the addition of new resort properties, expanded convention and meeting space, professional sports teams, and new venues such as Allegiant Stadium. Following the disproportionate impacts suffered by tourist destinations like Las Vegas during the pandemic, Las Vegas demonstrated a strong rebound as a favorite location for pent up travel demand. Visitor spending in 2022 hit an all-time high of $44.9 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Total spending by visitors in 2022 outpaced the prior year by 24.4 percent and the 2019 total by 21.8 percent.
“These results are a powerful testament that what we do in concert with our resort partners to market this destination has an undeniable impact on our community,” said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA. “We’re proud of this city and this industry and know that the upcoming offerings in the destination will add to that success.”
The report also notes that Southern Nevada’s tourism industry remained the largest regional employer in 2022, directly employing an estimated 229,440. With direct and indirect impacts included, total impacts reached an estimated 358,880, a 21.3 percent increase over the prior year.ADVERTISEMENT“As we emerged from the pandemic, our consumer research made clear it was the perfect moment for us to capitalize on pent up travel demand,” said Kate Wik, chief marketing officer of the LVCVA. “We’re thrilled to see not only the strong rebound in visitation, but also the significant impact our visitors have on our state’s economy.”
The report’s findings are based on data sourced from the LVCVA; the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation; the Nevada Gaming Control Board; Clark County School District; the Nevada Commission on Tourism; and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The report was compiled and presented by Applied Analysis on behalf of the LVCVA.
Other key findings include:
The total economic output related to visitor spending in 2022 (including direct, indirect and induced impacts) reached an all-time high of $79.3 billion, equivalent to about half of the region’s gross economic output.Despite 2022’s 38.8 million visitation tally falling 3.7 million visitors short of the 2019 visitation total, overall spending increased dramatically due to a 33.4 percent rise in per-trip visitor spending compared with 2019.Per-trip visitor spending climbed to an all-time high of $1,156 in 2022, 3.3 percent higher than 2021.For more information on Las Vegas travel and tourism, visit lvcva.com.

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SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc, a leading theme park and entertainment company, today announced that Marisa Thalberg will join the company as their Chief Marketing and Communications Officer effective April 24, 2023.
In this role, Marisa will be responsible for brand and marketing strategies that drive revenue, increase visitation across the organization’s award-winning portfolio of 12 parks, and elevate the company’s conservation mission. Marisa is a globally recognized brand-builder and pioneer of digital, social and eCommerce marketing. She is a five-time honoree on Forbes’ “World’s Most Influential CMOs” list, among other industry accolades.
Marc Swanson, Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. said, “Marisa’s experience with some of the most recognized retail and F&B brands, coupled with her strong history of driving revenue growth through holistic marketing strategies, represents a great opportunity to better showcase our iconic brands and the passionate work we do with conservation. We are thrilled to have her join our leadership team.”
Marisa added, “From the moment I experienced SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment and learned more about all of the brands within it, I have been so excited to join this leadership team. This is a company that is uniquely built on delivering joy and creating memories that matter, while also educating and inspiring others to protect animals and the wild wonders of our world. Across SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Sesame Place, Discovery Cove and every brand in the portfolio there is a unique story that I cannot wait to work with the team to tell. The growth opportunities ahead are incredibly exciting.”
Marisa was the first Executive Vice President, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer for Lowe’s Companies Inc. from 2020-2022. At Lowe’s, she was responsible for the transformation of marketing during which she helped drive record sales and brand growth for the company.ADVERTISEMENTPrior to Lowe’s, Marisa was the Global Chief Brand Officer at Taco Bell, where she achieved category-beating same store sales growth every quarter and captured the highest passion index among fans of any QSR brand. She also provided global brand stewardship for Taco Bell’s rapid international expansion.
From 2007-2015, Marisa was the head of Corporate Digital Marketing Worldwide for The Estee Lauder Companies (ELC), where she was responsible for the total company leadership of digital/social marketing and content strategy to support brand and eCommerce development worldwide, across the company’s portfolio of 30+ leading prestige global beauty brands.
In 2002, Marisa founded Executive Moms (www.executivemoms.com), an organization created to connect and support accomplished women who are both professionals and moms. She currently serves as a Strategic Advisor to the VC firm Composite Ventures and is on the boards of the Blumenthal Center of the Arts and the MMA. She has served on the boards of the AdCouncil, International Women’s Media Foundation, TheatreworksUSA and the Orange County School of the Arts. Marisa graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

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Hosting the Global Tourism Resilience Day 2024 in Malaga, from left to right the Spanish Ambassador to South Africa HE Raimundo Robredo Rubio along with the two deputy Mayors Jacobo Florido, Susana Carillo and the Director of Tourism Jonathan Gomez-Puzon of Malaga as well as ITIC group CEO Ibrahim Ayoub with Hon Edmund Bartlett Founder and Chairman of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre
Following a meeting in Cape Town on the 4th April 2023 during the ITIC-WTM African Tourism Investment Summit, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism of Jamaica and Co-chair and Founder of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre GTRCMC is pleased to announce that next year’s Global Tourism Resilience Conference will be held in the City of Malaga on the 16th and 17th February
The 17th February has been proclaimed by the United Nations as the Global Tourism Resilience Day, an initiative spearheaded by Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism of Jamaica and voted by 94 nationsat the General Assembly of the UN on the 4th February 2023. This United Nations proclamation culminated in the second edition of the Global Tourism Resilience Conference from the 15th to the 17th February 2023 in Kingston, Jamaica.GTRCMC and its partners have united their forces to advance the capacity of countries and especially of the tourism industry across the world, to enhance their preparedness and response to the increasingly complex risk scape resulting from climate change and natural hazards.
This initiative shows the commitment of GTRCMC to host the conference in the City of Malaga which is also known as the European Capital of Smart Tourism.The project is a collaboration of ITIC, GTRCMC and the City of Malaga and such a partnership will not only enable countries to harness disruptions but also to attract more sustainable investment flows forging a more resilient and prosperous future for all nations.

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April is World Autism Month, and Visit Myrtle Beach and the communities along the 60 miles of coastline have been committed to creating an autism- and sensory-friendly destination throughout the year since 2016.As a recognized autism-friendly destination, Myrtle Beach continues its increasing efforts to provide a safe, accessible, and welcoming destination for all, including a sensory-friendly pledge and numerous initiatives to promote and foster inclusivity throughout the region.
“We believe that everyone belongs at The Beach, and our top priority at Myrtle Beach is to provide an inclusive destination for visitors of all abilities,” said Karen Riordan, President and CEO of Visit Myrtle Beach. “Families with children diagnosed with autism often feel vacations are out of their reach — and we want to change that. At Visit Myrtle Beach, we believe in the restorative and life-altering power of travel and continue to further our efforts to provide greater support and access to memorable vacation experiences for all.”
Highlights of sensory-friendly services and programs available throughout the Grand Strand include:
In conjunction with the Champion Autism Network (CAN) and TravelAbility, Visit Myrtle Beach launched The Beach is for everyBODY: Sensory-Friendly Pledge in 2022. To date, more than 150 businesses along the Grand Strand have pledged their support or received CAN certification. Participating organizations are committed to welcoming guests with autism and other neurodiverse disabilities through tangible and meaningful actions designed to support residents and visitors.Myrtle Beach International Airport has launched its participation in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program. The program provides a discreet way for travelers with a hidden disability, including autism, to self-identify, alerting airport personnel that they may require additional assistance or patience throughout their travel journey. Individuals wishing to utilize the program can request a sunflower lanyard at one of the two information booths in the terminal (pre-security at baggage claim and post-security near Nacho Hippo and Gate A2). The airport also offers a “Quiet Room” in the baggage claim area to give families a space to decompress before or after a flight.The Autism Travel Card offered by CAN (formerly the CAN Card) is a simple way for guests to identify their family as one that includes someone with autism, without needing to say a word. Participating restaurants, hotels and venues have been trained in the needs of individuals with autism and their families and to provide a special or expedited service. Autism Travel Cards are available online at AutismTravel.Club for a $7 membership fee and offer several benefits including services and discounts with participating businesses.Participating hotels, including the 15 properties of Vacation Myrtle Beach and many others, help create a safe and sensory-friendly experience for children with Autism and their families, including room placements, removing potentially dangerous or trigger items from rooms, coordinating unique experiences and more.Wait staff at participating restaurants are trained to seat guests in a quiet space, expedite meals and check outs as needed, and handle potential sensory-overload situations with understanding and compassion.Myrtle Beach attractions offer services such as trained staff, special programming and discounts to families that present the Autism Travel Card. Examples of the available experiences include SkyWheel Myrtle Beach where families receive expedited attraction access along with discounted tickets and Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach where noise-cancelling headphones and special pricing are available.During the month of April, the team at CAN has put together a month-long campaign called, “You’re Invited!” The campaign includes events and promotions at partner businesses, including sensory-friendly attraction and movie days, special SkyWheel illuminations, and community gatherings, such as beach sweeps in the town of Surfside.Through Project Lifesaver, Myrtle Beach area police and tourism professionals are trained to administer a GPS tracking band program for children who are prone to wandering off or are at risk of becoming lost. Those wearing the band, whether on the wrist or ankle, can be quickly located by search teams and returned to families/caregivers.This summer, Visit Myrtle Beach will be launching a new children’s book, titled Splish, Splash, Squawk! Finding Joy in a Sensory-Friendly Vacation. In partnership with author and illustrator, Lynda Farrington Wilson, the book will help to encourage families with children on the autism spectrum to vacation together through a fictional story that helps readers discover the joy and wonder in a family vacation, despite the overlooked challenges of acclimating to new environment, and experiences.For more information on Myrtle Beach’s autism-friendly offerings and accessible trip planning resources, visit www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/autism-friendly-vacations.

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Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture is an internationally known, leading edge nonprofit dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture.Through interactive and immersive exhibitions, MoPOP offers a one-of-a-kind museum experience, touting more than 85,000 artifacts in their permanent collection and over 1,800 artifacts on display like the Notorious B.I.G. suit, an Idris Alba costume from The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, Carrie Brownstein’s Rickenbacker 330 electric guitar, the Jimi Hendrix Westerner hat, Grandmaster Flash’s turntables, and more!
New to MoPOP this year is the world premiere exhibition, Hidden Worlds: The Films of LAIKA, a partnership with the award-winning animation studio LAIKA, which was founded in Oregon in 2005 by President and CEO, Travis Knight. With a sold out opening in March, Hidden Worlds continues to take visitors behind the scenes of LAIKA’s most beloved and Academy Award®-nominated films, including Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings (BAFTA® Award for Best Animated Film and received an additional Oscar® nomination for Visual Effects), Missing Link (Golden Globe® for Best Animated Film), and Wildwood (forthcoming). Through a variety of interactive displays, visitors will get an up-close look at the intricate craftsmanship and artistry that goes into each film, as well as the unique and imaginative worlds that LAIKA has created. Explore the Pink Palace apartments from Coraline, and the town of Blithe Hollow from ParaNorman. Visitors can see the original puppets and costumes, as well as concept art and storyboards. Interactive experiences allow visitors to learn about the stop-motion process and even try their hand at creating their own stop-motion animation.
Other MoPOP favorites include a wide range of Seattle’s music scene history – from Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana. Or they can delve into the world of science fiction and fantasy in the museum’s Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction exhibit, which features costumes, props, and other memorabilia from iconic movies and TV shows. Families will enjoy the Sound Lab exhibit, which gives people of all ages the opportunity to explore the tools of rock ‘n’ roll through electric guitars, drums, samplers, mixing consoles, and more.

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As travelers plan their Earth Month activities, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is excited to offer guests a variety of opportunities to volunteer, explore and protect its natural resources while they visit. With 62 miles of scenic coastline,several nature reserves – like the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge and the Gulf Island National Seashore – cypress swamps, bayous and salt marshes to explore, sustainable travel is important to preserve these diverse ecosystems, throughout April, and all year long.
“Attractions, businesses and tourism partners along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are committed to sustainability and the preservation of our abundant natural resources. Many have taken major strides with new sustainable programs including oyster shell recycling, dozens of farm-to-table restaurants to choose from, and endless ways to immerse yourself in nature,” said Pattye Meagher, Director of Communications and Engagement at Coastal Mississippi CVB. “We at Coastal Mississippi hope that visitors not only have a fantastic experience in our destination, but that they also learn a little bit about our unique environments and wildlife, and feel inspired to help us keep them healthy, so we’ve curated a list of sustainable experiences they can enjoy during Earth Month, but also year-round.”
Sustainable Programs, Events & Volunteer Opportunities
Opened on March 1, The Collective Ocean Springs is a mixed-use entertainment property with big plans for a sustainable future. Owned and operated by Rain Residential, the property serves as a hub for community makers, growers, chefs and entrepreneurs to share their talents in a collaborative and eco-conscious way. At the center of The Collective is a sustainable garden and organic chicken farm that will provide fresh foods and resources for a new restaurant and development. Within the next year, the development plans to open an amphitheater, nano brewery, bookstore and a farm-to-table restaurant called Apple Pear Restaurant and Farm, helmed by Ocean Springs native and renowned chef Alex Perry, a 2023 James Beard Award Finalist and chef/owner of nearby Vestige restaurant. Visitors can also stop by every Wednesday from 3-6 p.m., for a community Farmers Market with live local music, a pop-up bar and more.This year, The Nature Conservancy of Mississippi is launching a pilot oyster shell recycling program called Save Our Shells (SOS) to help conserve oyster reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. The program officially launched during the 7th Annual Gulf Coast Oyster Cook-off and Festival in March, with many top local restaurants, hotels, and businesses participating like White Pillars, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and Keg & Barrel. Visitors can feel good patronizing partner businesses, knowing that oyster shells are delivered to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to be processed and integrated into restoration projects.Plastic Free Gulf Coast is an organization dedicated to eliminating single-use plastic before it becomes part of the waste stream through partnerships with local schools, businesses and restaurants. Visitors can stop by plastic-free partners like Mockingbird Café in Bay St. Louis, Greenhouse Biloxi and more, for delicious eats and a sustainable experience. Some of the coast’s top museums are also plastic-free partners, including the Walter Anderson Museum of Art and The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum. The program provides tips and resources, and even organizes regular beach clean-up events for residents and visitors alike.The Mississippi State University Monthly Coastal Clean-Up program is another great way for visitors to make an impact and help keep the coast healthy and beautiful. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, the program will host an Earth Day Celebration at the Biloxi West Beach Boardwalk. Volunteers are encouraged to sign-up ahead of time and will be provided with the necessary gear and materials needed upon arrival.Education, Outdoors & Eco-tours
The Pascagoula River Audubon Center offers more than 70,000 protected acres of unique ecosystem along the Pascagoula River, the largest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States. On Earth Day weekend (April 21-22), the center will host a Native Plant Sale that is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The mini festival will include kids’ activities and a wide variety of native perennials, shrubs and small trees for purchase. Other opportunities for visitors to learn and explore include kayak rentals, nature-based programming for all ages and countless volunteer opportunities like citizen science projects, litter pick up, critter care and more.The Institute for Marine and Mammal Studies (IMMS) has aided in the rescue, rehabilitation, release and research of stranded marine animals along the Gulf Coast for nearly 40 years. In addition to daily general admission, IMMS is also currently rehabbing baby sea turtles from Massachusetts. Visitors can stop by to see the progress of these small creatures before they’re released back into the sea. Other opportunities include swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with stingrays and a wide variety of educational camps, classes and experiences to learn more about the important rescue and rehab process.The can’t-miss Eco-Tours of South Mississippi gives guests an up-close look at the flora and fauna of the cypress swamps, bayous and salt marshes of the 80-mile-long Pascagoula River waterway–including over 300 different species of plants and an abundance of unique migratory birds–like pelicans, ospreys, herons, egrets and even bald eagles. The 2-hour interpretive tours are led by knowledgeable guides and offer a variety of watercrafts from single and tandem kayaks, to a fleet of motorized boats all powered by modern clean burning outboards.The Gulf Coast Gator Ranch in Moss Point brings visitors face to face with alligators big and small. Recognized as the oldest gator farm in the state of Mississippi, the sanctuary offers 105 acres of swamplands and wildlife to explore. Visitors can stroll along protected walkways or climb aboard a high-speed airboat tour through the preserved wilderness to catch a glimpse of alligators, turtles, birds and other wildlife.Farm-to-table & Gulf-to-table DiningADVERTISEMENTThe one-of-a-kind Makin Groceries is a plant-based café and meal prep catering service located in Biloxi. Owned and operated by local chef and mother, Lauren Turner, the company provides vegan, vegetarian, soy-free and gluten-free options that are made to order, while also offering a new farm-to-table seasonal menu every week in the café. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, Makin Groceries is also a proud partner of Plastic Free Gulf Coast. Chef Turner uses compostable and plastic-free materials, as well as fresh local ingredients in every order.Vestige is an Ocean Springs farm-to-table restaurant whose owner and chef, Alex Perry, was recently named a 2023 James Beard Award Semi-finalist for the title “Best Chef in the South.” Perry’s approach incorporates the freshest, seasonal ingredients to create contemporary dishes inspired by the flavors and techniques of Japan–where his wife and co-owner, Kumi Omori, grew up. Vestige offers a multi-course, pre-set tasting menu that changes almost daily based on what’s fresh and in season.Opened in August 2022, Radish is an upscale restaurant located in the heart of downtown Long Beach. Owner and chef William Rester offers an ingredient-driven menu that showcases the fresh, authentic flavors of the South using traditional techniques and preparation styles inspired by the nineteenth century farmers who harvested the land. During that time, the favorite bar snack was a long scarlet radish dipped in luxurious butter and coarse salt.The award-winning White Pillars restaurant is owned by Mississippi-native, Austin Sumrall, and his wife Tresse Sumrall. Chef Sumrall – a 2020 James Beard Nominee and the 2021 “Great American Seafood King” – is known for fusing global flavors with fresh, seasonal ingredients from local farmers markets to curate an ever-evolving menu that mixes nostalgic and modern dining. The restaurant is also a proud partner and advocate of the Save our Shells program.Thorny Oyster located in the heart of Bay St. Louis, inside the beautiful Pearl Hotel, serves local coastal fare with bold flavors. The menu is packed with creative seafood dishes, from raw options, to sandwiches and brisket. Founded by Chef Jeffrey Hansell and his wife, Amy Hansell, the popular locale offers a vintage modern vibe and refined plates that are extremely fresh and flavorful.To learn more about these activities and more happening in Coastal Mississippi, visit our website at www.coastalmississippi.com.

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