Hurricanes, promotions drive CVB business to Tunica
Tunica had an astonishingly high 92.6% occupancy rate for April-September of last year, indicating that expansion looms in the future.
Over the past six years, the market has had steady occupancy rates near 90%, according to Webster Franklin, president of the Tunica Visitors and Convention Bureau.
“I think you saw a spike last year because we saw a tremendous boost from Hurricane Katrina,” he told the local Business Journal.
The area has 6,400 hotel rooms.
When the hurricane knocked out many casino resorts along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Tunica CVB instigated a $2.1 million advertising campaign that went to its traditional markets. Those included Huntsville, Ala., Nashville and Memphis, as well as to new markets like Atlanta.
“We spent a lot of money there trying to get those customers who may have gone to the Gulf Coast to try Tunica out while they were rebuilding,” Mr Franklin said.
There also was a vigorous marketing effort from the individual properties as well.
“Not only has the product grown, but I think the marketing played a significant role in boosting that average,” said Mr Franklin.
Hurricane Katrina also had an effect on meetings and conventions, which played a part in Tunica’s high occupancy rates.
“We saw a lot of conventions that were booked for the Mississippi Gulf Coast that came to Tunica for the first time,” Franklin says.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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