Over 44 million visitors came to the Magnolia State last year, generating over $18 billion. Lawmakers are likely to take another go at standing up a new agency come January.

Mississippi welcomed a record 44.2 million visitors in 2024, and those visitors generated $18.1 billion for the Magnolia State’s economy.

That was the word Friday from Visit Mississippi Director Rochelle Hicks speaking at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Vicksburg.

The 2024 Tourism Economic Contribution Report conducted by Tourism Economics out of Oxford showed visitor spending increased by 3.2 percent last year, accounting for $11.9 billion.

Tourism’s total economic impact sustained 136,094 jobs, translating to 1-in-13 jobs in the state, while providing $4.6 billion in labor income for Mississippians

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