While COVID-19 hit our tourism industry hard, the downturn has not been as severe as expected. Coast tourism is performing among the best in the nation.

That’s according to the latest tourism research released Thursday morning by Coastal Mississippi CEO Milton Segarra at a meeting with the Gulf Coast Business Council.

Segarra says South Mississippi tourism has seen success and growth in the past year, thanks in part to the the $3.4 million the Coast was awarded from the Tourism Recovery Fund.

Mississippi was the top travel spending market in the U.S. last year, with the Gulf Coast accounting for one-third of all the activity regarding tourism.