Charting tourism in Vicksburg is a never-ending task for Bill Seratt, executive director for the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, and his staff. Every day, he travels around the city looking at vehicle license plates, tallying the number of states represented by tourists who are lured by the city’s offerings. And that’s just an “informal” indicator.

The agency, established by the Mississippi Legislature in 1974 to guide, direct and help the tourism industry grow here, uses a computer program, called InfoTrac, software used by about 70 convention and visitor bureaus across the country to help track visitors. Seratt said the staff of the VCVB had access to the program before he came here earlier this year, but it wasn’t being used “to its best potential.” That’s changed, he said.

“In order to make sure that this staff is using InfoTrac to its fullest capability, last week we had professional training from the company that provides the software,” he said.

In addition to the software, which serves as a sort of database of information on visitors, the agency tracks the effectiveness of the ads the board approves to be placed in publications, on television and over the radio promoting Vicksburg.

“We do that to see if we are indeed getting people to come here as a result of our advertising,” he said. “We also get information on where we should be advertising if we’re not already.”

Perhaps the most important indicator, Seratt said, is the 1 percent tax placed on hotel and restaurant bills in the city, which annually brings about $1 million in income for the agency, which, in turn, is used for staff salaries, promotional materials and advertising.

Another measure is a monthly analysis of inquiries and visitor surveys that are conducted at the VCVB’s visitor information center and other attractions, such as the Vicksburg National Military Park, museums, bed and breakfasts and hotels.

“We also have the good old-fashioned talking to the stakeholders — the people on the front lines of the hospitality industry,” Seratt said. “They’re the ones greeting the guests daily, seeing if the numbers are up and finding out what the visitor is saying.”

Craig Ray, director of the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Development Division, said keeping track of numbers is how the state charts its success with tourism.

“We can’t work without the numbers. We have a great research office headed by Tom Van Hyning, and we encourage all of our CVBs to work with him,” Ray said. “We couldn’t exist and can’t move forward without the numbers — how the money is being spent, how many visitors, how many room nights — that’s Tourism 101. If you don’t have the numbers, you can’t exist.”

Seratt said, when he moved here in April, he was already impressed with what Vicksburg offered guests. Now, he said, he is even more convinced.

“I knew Vicksburg had the greatest potential of any destination in the state,” he said. “Now I know it can hold its own against any destination in the South. It just needs to be packaged and promoted.”

Seratt is the right man for the job, Ray said.

“Bill Seratt is one of our Top five CVB directors,” he said. “Vicksburg is very fortunate to have him.”

Seratt came to Vicksburg from Greenville, where he was the director of the Greenville-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has about 30 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry and helped found the Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. He is also on the board for the Mississippi Tourism Agency.

Before he started at the VCVB, tourism in Vicksburg was at a crossroads, with several groups holding long meetings and developing plans of action to promote Vicksburg. There were no clear lines of authority. Now, Seratt believes everyone is working more together than before.

“There were several groups whose only interest was to ensure the economic vitality of tourism in Vicksburg. They only had the best interest of Vicksburg in mind,” he said. “I’ve met with as many of these stakeholders as I’ve been able to, and I feel that the entire market has come together.”

Seratt believes the future of tourism in Vicksburg is strong. In the next month he and the board will put together the 2008 media and marketing plan, which will include a conversion study.

“This business is based on relationship marketing — that means a sales person from this staff gaining the trust of tour operators,” Seratt said. “It also involves a consistent presence and a consistent message that is consistently delivering what you promise.”

Seratt indicated that he plans on keeping his promise.

“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I am awed by the bountiful wagon load of goods that I have to take to market.”