The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors approved a new 48-page visitors guide to be ready next month.

Featuring the motto, See It! Play It! Love It! the new guides will cost about $33,000 after the VCVB sold 9 1/2 pages of advertising. Plans are to print 200,000 copies this year.

VCVB Executive Director Emy Bullard Wilkinson said there is still some fine tuning of the magazine-style guide to be finished, but that she remains excited about it.

“If I received this in the mail, I’d come,” Wilkinson said.

Not all of the members of the board shared her excitement. Board member Bobbie Morrow voted against approving the guide.

“I still have an issue with the diversity on the cover,” Morrow said. “We’re not just black and white.”

Board member Lamar Roberts also said he had problems with the guide, but voted for its approval.

“I really don’t like this cover, but I’ll move to accept it so we can go ahead and get this in production,” Roberts said.

Wilkinson said the cover was designed to show activities that might attract visitors to the city. It depicts bird watching, architecture, history, gaming and tour homes, she said.

The guide is also divided into sections that include a list of area attractions, a section on the four local casinos, a calender of events and a shopping guide. There is also a map and suggested itineraries.

The guide is being funded out of VCVB funds which come from a 1 percent sales tax on room rentals and restaurant and bar tabs. The VCVB is operating this year on a budget of $966,603.

The guides will be mailed out to people who request tourism information and given out at the visitors centers.