Downtown merchants could soon be meeting the riverboats as they dock in Vicksburg.

Vicksburg Main Street’s Board of Directors discussed developing a program to greet the passengers when the boats pull in to City Front to visit the city. The idea came from a suggestion by Walnut Hills owner Joyce Clingan, who told the board her employees have been meeting the boats with cookies and maps and brochures for the city.

“They are really enjoying themselves, when they go to the boats,” she said. “We had one young man who was thrilled because he got to go on one of the boats.”

Vicksburg is a regular stop for the riverboats on their Mississippi River trips from New Orleans upriver and on the return trips, in some cases staying overnight. Currently, three boats, the Mississippi Queen, American Queen and American Eagle, stop in Vicksburg so tourists can visit the city and the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Another tour company, Viking River Cruises, is expected to start making cruises on the Mississippi in 2016, and the Delta Queen, which once traveled the river and is undergoing renovations, could resume making river tours in 2016.

Clingan offered to contact other merchants about establishing a program to meet the boats when they land.

“We should greet the people at the boats and bring them handouts telling them about our retail stores and provide maps to our stores and restaurants,” she said. “ I have a schedule when the boats arrive. I would be glad to send that to all the businesses.”

Most of Vicksburg’s downtown merchants are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and recently agreed to remain open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays, but several members told Main Street executive director Kim Hopkins that some businesses were not keeping the longer Thursday hours. Hopkins said she would check on the businesses.

“We need to be doing better,” board member Darrell Hollingsworth said. Hollingsworth also said the board needs to discuss improved lighting for the downtown parking decks, adding they need to be well-lit and better marked because more people are coming downtown.

Hopkins said a new set of signs for downtown will direct people to the parking decks.

“If we can handle this right, downtown should really thrive,” board chairman Skipper Guizerix added.