South MS coastal ‘Secret’ unveiled

GULFPORT, Miss. - Hundreds of people gathered at Jones Park on March 11 to hear the announcement of the new tourism slogan for South Mississippi that was a year in the making. “Coastal Mississippi: The Secret Coast” is the new phrase and it rolls out across the Gulf South on March 12. “It’s time that we accept that not too many people know about us,” Milton Segarra, executive director of what was Visit MS Gulf Coast, and now will do business as Coastal Mississippi, told the Sun Herald. “Why not maximize that?” Advertisements will show people enjoying the non-crowded beaches and bayous, and casinos. Tourism has ticked up 1 to 2 percent over the last several years. But Segarra said the goal now is to reach double-digit growth in three years. As part of the nearly $1M campaign, 40 billboards across Louisiana, north Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle will target markets within a five-hour drive. Other advertising will be directed around air packages with Delta and American and airline hubs such as Atlanta and Charlotte that have easy flights to the coast. Coastal Mississippi doesn’t tell travelers to “visit”, “meet” or “discover” like many destinations do, he said. Instead the new slogan rolls like waves from the Gulf of Mexico, offering images of sand, boating and, of course, seafood. (Source: Sun Herald 03/11/19)