Mississippi Gulf Coast: A Record Recovery

Lauren Hock | September 1, 2023

By Lauren Hock 2020: Strength During the Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic initially posed a major threat to the leisure-heavy Gulf Coast tourism industry, as the market only benefited from one month of Spring Break travel before the stay-at-home orders were issued. However, the state of Mississippi relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions sooner than competitive markets in nearby states, thereby allowing the state’s Secret Coast resorts to capture large amounts of pent-up leisure demand. As a result, occupancy and ADR for July and August nearly reached pre-pandemic levels. The hurricane season can have a negative or positive impact on Gulf Coas...