MISSISSIPPI TOURISM ASSOCIATION

What MISSISSIPPI TOURISM ASSOCIATION does

Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA) is a private, nonprofit membership trade association founded in May 1986 as the Mississippi Travel Promotion Association, subsequently renamed twice (to Mississippi Tourism Promotion Association in 1995 and to its current name in 1997) as its scope broadened beyond promotion to advocacy and education. The organization is headquartered in Madison, Mississippi, operates with a lean team of 3+ staff including an Executive Director, Experience & Engagement Manager, and Organizational Development Manager, and serves the state's tourism industry across five geographic regions: Hills, Delta, Pines, Capital/River, and Coastal. Its primary constituents are Mississippi-based hotels, restaurants, attractions, casinos, convention and visitor bureaus, and other travel-related businesses, with a secondary constituency of destination marketing organizations and public-sector entities supporting tourism. Named participants span from enterprise-scale casino resorts (Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, Horseshoe Casino Tunica) to mid-market CVBs (Visit Jackson, Visit Oxford, Visit Starkville, Coastal Mississippi, Tupelo CVB, Visit Vicksburg).

MTA's core products are programmatic rather than technological. They include the Heart of Hospitality Workforce Development Training Program — a seven-session online curriculum delivering the Certified Hospitality Expert designation — the Mississippi Tour Guide publication, the Excellence in Tourism Leadership program delivered with Mississippi State University Extension, the STS Marketing College scholarship via the Southeast Tourism Society, the Master Class Series, a quarterly webinar series, and signature events including the Governor's Conference on Tourism, Spring Summit, and Tourism Day at the Capitol/Legislative Reception. Advocacy is delivered through the Tourism Mississippi Political Action Committee (TMPAC), which supports statewide candidates favorable to the industry. Digital infrastructure consists of a member portal (members.mstourism.com), a workforce training platform (workforce.mstourism.com), and a podcast distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music; there is no proprietary AI, app, or public API.

MTA's revenue model is a recurring annual membership subscription, supplemented by event sponsorship tiers. Standard membership is priced at $359/year with an additional-member option at $75/year; corporate membership is $995/year covering up to five properties or entities. Sponsorship tiers include Producer, Platinum/Director, Gold, and Bronze partners, with visible anchor partners spanning Advance Travel and Tourism, Compass Media, Miles Partnership, Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, Coastal Mississippi, Visit Jackson, Visit Oxford, Visit Hattiesburg, Visit Meridian, Visit Vicksburg, Tupelo CVB, Visit Natchez, and Visit Greenwood. Membership benefits include unlimited training sessions, event access, and legislative advocacy representation.

Name

MISSISSIPPI TOURISM ASSOCIATION

Legal name

Mississippi Tourism Association

Website

https://mstourism.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mississippi Tourism Association is a nonprofit membership trade association founded in 1986 that advocates for, educates, and promotes Mississippi's tourism industry through events, training programs, and a statewide network serving hotels, restaurants, casinos, attractions, and convention and visitor bureaus across all five state regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: MTA generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees. Standard membership is $359/year with additional member option at $75/year. Corporate membership for hotel ownership groups, management companies, and restaurant ownership groups is $995/year covering up to 5 properties/entities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Mississippi Tourism Association is a private, nonprofit statewide membership trade association that serves as the unified voice for Mississippi's tourism industry. Its core offerings center on annual memberships ($359 standard; $995 corporate) that bundle unlimited hospitality training, access to events such as the Governor's Conference on Tourism, Spring Summit, Day at the Capitol, and Master Class Series, plus advocacy representation at the Mississippi State Capitol through the Tourism Mississippi Political Action Committee (TMPAC). The association also delivers the Heart of Hospitality Workforce Development Training Program (with Certified Hospitality Expert designation), publishes the official Mississippi Tour Guide, and coordinates scholarships such as the STS Marketing College program.

Product overview

The Mississippi Tourism Association operates as a membership-based organization offering a portfolio of educational programs, advocacy services, and event programming rather than a traditional technology product. The core offerings include the Heart of Hospitality Workforce Development Training Program (with Certified Hospitality Expert certification), the Mississippi Tour Guide publication, Excellence in Tourism Leadership (in partnership with Mississippi State University), and STS Marketing College scholarships. The association also produces signature events including the Governor's Conference on Tourism, Spring Summit, and Day at the Capitol/Legislative Reception. Additional programs include the Tourism Mississippi Political Action Committee (TMPAC), Master Class Series, and Webinar Series. Membership benefits include unlimited training sessions, event access, and legislative advocacy representation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mississippi Tour Guide The official tour guide publication for the State of Mississippi, distributed through Welcome Centers and available online for inquiries. Used by visitors and tourism businesses as the state's primary print/online travel reference.
• Governor's Conference on Tourism Annual conference that brings together Mississippi tourism professionals, partners, and legislators to celebrate industry successes, educate attendees on trends, and provide networking opportunities. Open to MTA members and partners.
• Spring Summit Annual spring conference offering educational and professional development opportunities for tourism teams across Mississippi; also hosts the annual TMPAC fundraiser.
• Day at the Capitol / Legislative Reception Tourism Day at the Capitol followed by the annual Legislative Reception, bringing together Mississippi legislators and tourism professionals to share industry statistics and celebrate tourism successes.
• Heart of Hospitality Workforce Development Training Program Hospitality training program with seven online video sessions covering topics such as listening skills, communication, connecting with guests, and positive visitor impact. Members who complete the program earn the "Certified Hospitality Expert" designation.
• Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program Multi-discipline leadership program for tourism professionals offered in partnership with Mississippi State University, providing the knowledge and skills needed for industry leadership roles.
• Tourism Mississippi Political Action Committee (TMPAC) Unincorporated non-profit political action committee that supports candidates for statewide office who recognize the importance of Mississippi's hospitality and tourism industry, giving the industry an influential voice at the State Capitol.
• Master Class Series Quarterly in-person training sessions and workshops for hospitality sales leaders and tourism professionals featuring industry experts.
• Webinar Series Free virtual webinars covering topics such as board management and Robert's Rules of Order for tourism organization leadership.
• STS Marketing College Scholarship Scholarship program for the Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College, a three-year continuing education program held annually at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, culminating in Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) certification.
• MTA Membership Annual membership (Standard at $359/year; Corporate at $995/year covering up to 5 properties/entities) providing unlimited training sessions, access to educational workshops, the Governor's Conference, Spring Conference, and legislative advocacy representation through TMPAC. Additional members from the same entity can join for $75/year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 133,880 jobs supported in Mississippi tourism industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Advance Travel and TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProducer Partner for MTA events including sponsorship of the Governor's Conference on Tourism. Advance Travel and Tourism supports the annual conference and industry events.
• Compass MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProducer Partner providing sponsorship for MTA events including the Governor's Conference on Tourism closing session.
• Miles Partnership (Maris, West & Baker)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerProducer Partner sponsoring the Governor's Conference AI session. MWB is a marketing and advertising firm serving the tourism industry.
• Coastal MississippimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner representing Mississippi's coastal tourism destination. Operates the official tourism website for the Gulf Coast region.
• Visit JacksonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner and home to MTA's Secretary/Treasurer. Visit Jackson promotes tourism in Mississippi's capital city.
• Visit OxfordmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner and home to MTA's President Elect. Visit Oxford promotes tourism in Lafayette County and hosts the 2026 Governor's Conference.
• Visit HattiesburgmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner representing the Hattiesburg area. Visit Hattiesburg promotes tourism in the Pine Belt region.
• Visit MeridianmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner representing the Meridian area and East Mississippi tourism.
• Visit VicksburgmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner and home to MTA's Past President. Visit Vicksburg promotes Civil War and historical tourism.
• Tupelo Convention & Visitors BureaumajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner and sponsor of the 2027 Host Sponsor Reception at the Governor's Conference. Promotes Elvis and music heritage tourism.
• Visit NatchezminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Partner representing the Natchez area and historic tourism in southwest Mississippi.
• Visit GreenwoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Partner representing the Mississippi Delta's tourism efforts and home to Spring Summit host location.
• Scarlet Pearl Casino ResortcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner - premier casino resort in the Gulf Coast region supporting MTA's highest sponsorship tier.
• Nexstar MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDirector Partner providing sponsorship for the Governor's Conference after-hours social event.
• Mississippi State University (MSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program - MSU's Extension service administers this professional development program for tourism professionals.
• Southeast Tourism SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTA partners with STS for the Marketing College scholarship program. STS provides a three-year travel marketing professional certification program held annually at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Destinations International: Trade association for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and convention & visitors bureaus. Its member base (DMOs, CVBs) overlaps directly with MTA's primary member segment and competes for the same professional development and advocacy mindshare.
• Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association: State-level hospitality and tourism trade association serving Tennessee — a structurally identical model to MTA, with member-driven advocacy, events, and education programming for a neighboring Southeastern state.
• Louisiana Travel Association: State-level tourism trade association in a neighboring Gulf South state, providing direct peer comparability on state advocacy, regional marketing, and hospitality workforce programming.
• Travel South USA: Regional tourism promotion organization marketing the southern United States internationally. Mississippi is part of its footprint, giving it partial overlap with MTA's constituents and a closely parallel mission of growing southern U.S. tourism demand.
• Texas Travel Industry Association: Texas state-level travel and tourism industry association providing advocacy, education, and networking for tourism professionals — a structurally identical state trade association model, just at a much larger geographic scale.
• Southeast Tourism Society: Regional tourism industry association covering the same Southeastern U.S. footprint as MTA, with which it partners on the STS Marketing College / Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) certification program at Mercer University. Highly comparable in mission (industry advocacy, education, networking) and member constituency.

Regional players

• Discover South Carolina: South Carolina's state tourism marketing arm, functioning as the destination marketing counterpart to MTA in a neighboring Southeastern state. Different operating model (state-run DMO vs. private trade association) but addresses the same hospitality sector across a comparable regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Travel Association: National umbrella trade association for the U.S. travel and tourism industry, providing federal-level advocacy, research, and education services. Operates at broader scope than MTA but serves the same function (industry representation) one tier above the state level.
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): National membership organization for association professionals, including trade and industry associations like MTA. Comparable as a peer in the broader association-management category and a potential source of operational best practices and benchmarking.
• Visit Mississippi: Official state destination marketing organization (DMO) for Mississippi. Operates as a complementary rather than competing entity to MTA — different function (state destination marketing vs. industry trade association) but overlapping stakeholder base and shared economic impact narrative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/visitmstourism
• Instagraminstagram.com/mstourism/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mississippi-tourism-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MISSISSIPPI TOURISM ASSOCIATION