When it comes to tourism in Vicksburg, the sports and recreation market is perhaps one of the most overlooked and potentially profitable segments yet to be fully realized.

“The Governor’s Cup alone brings $4.5 million into the City of Vicksburg over two weekends,” said parks and recreation director Joe Graves of the youth baseball tournament that draws 100 teams each summer. “Imagine six of those tournaments taking place over the year instead of one — you’re talking about major, major bucks.”

The project

Five journalism students from the University of Mississippi spent — Aline Carambat, Andrew Mullen Scott, Elizabeth Pearson, Donica Phifer and David Hopper — two days in Vicksburg last month — to gather and report on the future of tourism in the area. Their stories, directed by reporter Steve Sanoski and Executive Editor Charlie Mitchell, are being published through Friday.

Scroll down to see video

Part 1: If you build it, they will come

Part 2: Military park looks ahead to 150th anniversary

Part 3: Vibrancy for residents might hold key to city future

Part 4: Limited public transit is a driving concern

Part 5: No crystal ball on convention center hotel

Because of Vicksburg’s proximity and interstate accessibility, Graves said there’s no doubt the number of youth and adult sports tournaments would increase if the city had the fields in place for large tournaments.

“Everybody wants to come to Vicksburg because it’s a central hub for state tournaments, and for teams from Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi,” he said. “They also want to come to Vicksburg because of all the different things we have to offer; the national military park, the (casino) boats, the museums and downtown. When they stay for a weekend or two, they’re going to benefit everybody in town.” 

Graves said parks and recreation departments in such Mississippi communities as Southaven and Clinton have tested the “build it and they will come” theory and proved it true.

Southaven’s Snowden Grove Park — built in 1999 on 100 acres with 17 baseball fields — has grown into a mecca for youth sports tournaments, annually hosting about 2,000 teams from across the country. Through team fees, ticket sales and concessions alone, the tournaments directly inject about $2 million into city coffers each year, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis has said. 

However, the benefits of thriving recreation programs and facilities are not only economic. Communities with high recreation options are commonly found to have lower crime rates, especially among juveniles, and higher high school graduation rates. 

“It provides lifelong opportunities that enhance the quality of life,” said Clinton Parks and Recreation Director Ray Holloway. “It offers various levels of competition, networking, opportunity for growth, security and it assists in selling your community to those who wish to relocate. As they say, ‘you build it, they will come.’ This holds true, because it allows you to offer more and be productive in your offerings.”

In Vicksburg, officials hope the $4 million sports complex under development off Fisher Ferry Road will increase local recreation participation and generate some much-needed revenue from tournaments. South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman, who served as the city’s parks and recreation director for eight years before being elected to the board in 2001, said the project has the potential to add an entirely new tourism component in Vicksburg.

“Major tourism areas are generally either beach-type communities or areas with big theme parks. Once you get beyond those things, it’s basically youth sports, and that’s something that can make or break you,” he said. “We know if the Fisher Ferry park is built the right way, we can generate revenue from out-of-town tournaments.”

Local hoteliers, among other business operators, definitely could use the boost in overnight stays generated by weekend sports tournaments. Next to the Miss Mississippi Pageant, the Governor’s Cup is one of the few annual events that can reasonably assure a sellout weekend.

The number of hotel rooms in Vicksburg increased by 25 percent from 2008 to 2009, sending occupancy rates on a downward spiral, according to Smith Travel Research data. Occupancy rates peaked at 73.3 percent in June 2008, and have been on a steady decline since. January occupancy figures slumped to 38.4 percent, up slightly from 38.1 percent in December — a three year low.

“There’s huge potential for spin-off tourism from sporting events,” said Bill Seratt, Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director. “We definitely want to help promote Mississippi’s emphasis on health and fitness and work with any niche market that can generate more overnight stays in our city.”

While $4 million of a $16.9 million bond issue was first set aside for a new sports complex in August 2007, the Fisher Ferry project since has been plagued by setbacks. Regardless, the first four baseball fields are on course to be completed this year. Clear River Construction is nearing completion of a $2.38 million contract to complete phase one clearing, grubbing and grading work that started in early 2009. The second and final phase of work is expected to be put to bid this spring.

While Mayor Paul Winfield has said the Fisher Ferry park lacks direction and would benefit from a contracted project manager, creating more recreational opportunities in the city was a cornerstone of his campaign last year and he remains committed to seeing the park to completion.

“The City of Vicksburg cannot afford to not build a state of the art sports facility,” the mayor recently told the Vicksburg Chapter of the Mississippi Home Builders Association.

The Aquilla Group LLC, a local initiative, formed in the summer of 2007, announced a joint deal with the city to build a $25 million complex — later raised to $40 million — on the existing Halls Ferry Park site. Artists’ renderings of the park featuring soccer fields, tennis courts, condominiums and playgrounds were developed, but only collected dust. Aquilla officially pulled out of the deal in January 2009, citing the lagging economy. 

Despite the loss of private investment, which has scaled the project back to its original $4 million investment, Graves said the Fisher Ferry park can still lay the groundwork for a grander vision of recreation revenue and opportunities in Vicksburg.

“The potential is there, and I think it’s going to happen,” said Graves. “But until something actually happens, I don’t know if anybody is going to believe it. They’ve been hearing it for 25 years and they haven’t seen it yet. But once it’s built, and they can actually see it and walk on it and take part in it, I think they’ll begin to get on board.”

Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com