Vicksburg is rolling out the red carpet beginning today with special deals and presentations for visitors.

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Mississippi Welcome Center, 4210 Washington St., have a variety of events planned for National Tourism Week, which runs through May 13.

“It is industry-wide,” said VCVB executive director Bill Seratt.

The Vicksburg Information Center, 3300 Clay St., across from Vicksburg National Military Park will be giving away Coca-Cola and entering names of tourists into drawings for a number of prizes and keepsakes, Seratt said.

The Mississippi Welcome Center will host presentations from cities and attractions across the state, supervisor B.J. Lyle said.

In fiscal year 2011 tourists and travelers spent $196,661,491 in Warren County and the travel and tourism industry employed 3,970 people, Seratt said.

During that same time period, $20,218,484 in state and local taxes were collected in Warren County, and $8,238,870 was spent on tourism capital improvements.

“It’s anything from improvements of hotels to building of restaurants,” Seratt said.

The first full week of May is annually recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week, a tradition first celebrated in 1984. This week was established as National Tourism Week when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1983 designating the week to be celebrated in May.

For more information about VCVB, visit www.visitvicksburg.com. For more about the Welcome Center, visit www.visitmississippi.org.