The future of tourism in Vicksburg might be found closer to home than many residents realize.

To succeed as a tourism town, Vicksburg needs to a good place for people to live, said Nancy Bell, executive director of the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation. And people who live here need to remember that visitors want to see and experience history — and that requires more than markers telling where structures used to be.

“Vicksburg has a bright future,” said Bell, who has served in many capacities in nearly 30 years as a Vicksburg resident. She’s been president of the Chamber of Commerce, president of the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation and developer and operator of the preservation foundation’s main property, the Biedenharn Candy Company Museum, where Coca-Cola was first bottled.

 “I think that more buildings will be rehabbed and more people will want to come here because it will look more like a vibrant city,” Bell said.

Few, if any, know more about Vicksburg’s eclectic architecture than Bell, but preservation has been a win some, lose some proposition. The foundation has been successful in saving homes and other structures, large and small, but has seen others lost to time and neglect. The city also has comprehensive zoning and historic district ordinances, but to be effective they have to be enforced.

As for Vicksburg numbers, Bell said setbacks include the impact of September 11 terrorism on travel, Hurricane Katrina, high fuel prices and a down economy — all outside local control — which caused tourism in Vicksburg to fall off at a steep rate. She said she hopes that the city will pick up more tourists by taking steps it can control, such as promoting itself as a weekend destination, targeting a regional market.

 “Vicksburg used to be a destination,” she said. “We lost a tremendous number (of tourists). We need to do more of targeting 150 miles around and putting packages together that say, ‘Come see Vicksburg for the weekend.’”

Bell said she believes people will continue to be pleasantly surprised with what the city has to offer.

 “We certainly have a lot that people can come and spend the weekend doing,” she said. “People come here and realize that we have a lot more than they thought.”

But to cater to families here and visitors, Bell believes the city needs a few more amenities such as a bowling ally.

 “We need some of those things that add to families coming,” she said. “Families come and stay longer if there are more things to do.”

With the city having complete access to the river, Bell expresses the importance of promoting it and moving forward with tourism.

 “We really should be pushing the river and capitalizing on it,” she said. “We just need to get from here to there and start picking up people.”

A big loss occurred in 2008 when the last overnight river passenger boats stopped operating. The Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen had brought thousands of tourists to the city each year. A big step forward is coming with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Interpretive Center now under construction at City Front. It will feature static display of the MV Mississippi riverboat, offering one of the few places along the river where visitors can board and tour an actual river vessel.

The Corps center and other amenities at City Front will supplement the area’s major attraction, the Vicksburg National Military Park, and encourage more visitors to spend more time here.

Bell believes giving tourists a taste for local history as a whole includes the antebellum homes and historic downtown area and museums.

 “We want to show people why they came to town,” she said. “People come to Vicksburg because the history is here.”

By revitalizing the city and preserving its heritage, Bell believes Vicksburg can attract more tourists and more residents.

 “If the area had not been preserved then we would not have people,” she said. “We must rehab and rebuild correctly. It encourages people to come to town as tourists and to come here to live.”

•

Elizabeth Pearson is a student at the University of Mississippi.