In seeking out additional funding for tourism in Mississippi, Visit Mississippi director Malcolm White said one option to be considered is using the word assessment instead of tax.

“Tax is a terrible word, it’s worse than most four-letter words,” White said, during the monthly chamber luncheon held at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

If every hotel room in the state had a $2 assessment fee, the tourism industry could increase its effectiveness by $12 to $15 million over night, he said, and the money would be paid by people coming into the state to visit.

As the director of Visit Mississippi, White’s role includes the overall management of the division and the development and implementation of short and long-range plans to create economic growth and opportunities for Mississippi through tourism.

“Anybody that wants to stay up late at night and talk to me about a way to fund tourism I would love to hear it,” White said.

Tourism is the fourth largest private sector non-farm employer in the state employing 115,000 Mississippians with 85,000 direct jobs, with the remaining number to indirect jobs, he said.

It is a growing industry, White said, returning $6.46 to the state coffers for every $1 that is given to the tourism industry to spend.

“We talk about the number of people employed. We talk about the economic impact, and we talk about the return on investment. Eventually people are going to be drawn to appropriating more money,” White said, but because tourism is not considered a “top tier” government funding option other methods of funding for tourism should be considered.

“Some states have special taxes on hotels. Some states have special taxes on rent-a-cars and some states have these hybrids where it is part appropriation and part tax,” he said, but Mississippi tourism dollars get bogged down in appropriations, and however much is left for marketing and advertising is what the industry receives.

Currently tourism receives $9 million from the legislature, but only $3 million is used for direct marketing and advertising, White said.

There is potential for Mississippi, White said, referencing the growth that Oxford has seen and added Vicksburg too, has many resources.

“Here I see nothing but opportunity, great assets, great landscape, a great story and great leadership,”  he said.