Promoting Nature Tourism
Along the Mississippi River

A Workshop on Economic and Community Development
Vicksburg Convention Center
April 25-27 of 2006

Audubon Mississippi, in partnership with the Mississippi Development Authority, Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and others are planning a major regional workshop April 25-27th, 2006 to promote nature tourism in the Lower Mississippi River Region. The workshop will be held at the Convention Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi and we invite you to become a part of this event!

Nature tourism, including activities such as fishing, hunting, birding, hiking, bicycling, camping, nature photography, canoeing, power boating, and other outdoor activities is a major and growing segment of the overall tourism market. In response to the need to inform tourism officials and others regarding the growing importance of sustainable natural resource based economic development opportunities in the Lower Mississippi Valley, this workshop is being held.

The goals of the workshop are to:

• Introduce and explain nature tourism concepts
• Demonstrate economic impact and environmental benefits
• Provide examples of nature tourism successes
• Share information and lessons learned regarding nature tourism
• Explain how nature tourism compliments other tourism
• Promote dialog and cooperation between those involved with nature tourism and other forms of tourism
• Promote engagement of NGOs and others not actively involved nature tourism activities
• Begin development of a regional strategy to promote nature tourism throughout the Lower Mississippi Valley area
• Foster improvement in the well-being of the citizens of the region

Presentations at the workshop by nationally or regionally recognized nature tourism professionals will explain the nature tourism concept and highlight the potential for natural resource based economic development throughout the region. Nature tourism concepts will be demonstrated through field trips to local publicly and privately owned sites that cater to the nature tourist. Additionally, a day will be devoted to a boat excursion on the Mississippi river where the undeveloped potential of Old Man River as a nature tourism attraction will be explored.

We hope you will help us make this workshop a success by visiting us in Vicksburg next October! For more information, please contact the workshop administrator (workshopadmin@msaudubon.org) and bookmark this website for future information as plans for the workshop unfold!