With 2018 winding down Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast (VMGC) is reporting that 2019 looks to be a very promising year for the region’s tourism industry, with numbers predicted to surpass those of 2018.

As Q1 of FY19 draws to a close, occupancy tax revenue received in December for October room sales was strong, coming in at 27% above prior year October tax revenue. VMGC’s sales team has been working hard and, with two weeks left in the month, definite booking room nights have already exceeded Q1 of FY18 by 16%. The sales pipeline is also looking strong heading into Q2 of FY19, as the number of tentative room nights has increased by 47%.

“We have spoken to several hotels across the region, and have received extremely positive forecasts for 2019,” said Milton Segarra, CEO of Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast. “From what we have heard so far, 2018 seems to have been a positive year for the hotel industry, exceeding budgeted occupancy and revenue, and seeing an increase in results over 2017. We look forward to seeing an ever further increase in 2019.”

Traffic to the gulfcoast.org website in 2018 is at 1.7 million users, an increase of 18% over 2017. This increase is thanks to the growing number of travel decisions made based on information found online, and VMGC’s advertising efforts directing potential visitors to www.gulfcoast.org for information on all three Coastal counties.

In the run-up to a full rebranding, VMGC saw a busy 2018, working with elected officials, stakeholders, multiple agencies, and industry professionals to evaluate the Mississippi Gulf Coast as a brand, with the overall goal of significantly increasing visitation and impacting the region’s economic development. The brand will be launched in March of 2019.

“Working together is the key to bringing more visitors to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and we look forward to an exciting future of increased visitation, deepened partnerships and broadened horizons,” said Segarra.

Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast will continue in its endeavors to promote the Mississippi Gulf Coast and looks forward to welcoming many more visitors looking to discover the #MSCoastLife in 2019.

Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast, www.gulfcoast.org