Blues and Catfish: Mississippi's Appeal is More than the Numbers

Figures suggest that not many people go to Mississippi.

The “Hospitality State” ranked 29th on a list of the most visited US states from Statista, placing above many of the smallest states – Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Delaware – in the northeast but behind powerhouses such as Florida, New York, and even Ohio, a place the internet always has a joke about.

Just 27% of people who responded to a survey request in September 2022 had visited Mississippi. Florida, in comparison, met with 61% of travelers.

The data refers to domestic leisure visits, which paints a worrying picture for Mississippi’s local tourism industry. Is the birthplace of James Earl Jones and Jim Henson (and, by extension, The Muppets) really worth avoiding this – and every – year?

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Catfish Cuisine

Anybody who has visited the state would disagree. Just the word “Mississippi” conjures images in the mind: it’s the home of catfish cuisine, mudpies, and riverboat casinos.

Mississippi is also home to a style of poker called Mississippi Stud. Introduced in the early 2000s, Mississippi Stud online is based around a five-card hand, like many other poker variants. This one, however, has a three-card bonus. The state boasts 30 casinos along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast.

These attractions are often where visitors begin their journey. The Great River Road, a ten-state route that follows Old Man River from source to mouth, from Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to the Atlantic Ocean some 2,500 miles away, is one of the United States’ All-American Roads. It’s on a list that includes Natchez Trace Parkway (also in MS), Historic Route 66, and 34 others.

Where the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers collide, the Delta emerges. This storied place is widely considered the home of several styles of music but one in particular is close to Mississippians’ hearts – delta blues. This visceral yet minimalist genre explores personal experiences and emotions.

University of Memphis ethnomusicologist, Prof. David Evans, cites the flood of 1927 as an early muse for delta blues. There were “25 or 30 records” about the flood during the style’s early days in 1927. Barbecue Bob’s song “Mississippi Heavy Water Blues” tells the story of losing his wife to the waters.

Blues Trail

According to the annual report of the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) for 2023, 23.95m people arrived in the state last year, spending $7bn.

The tourism sector is the state’s fourth-largest employer, suggesting that America’s apparent lack of interest in the deep south, from the Statista report, earlier, isn’t troubling Mississippi’s self-confidence.

The MDA cites several things as key to Mississippi’s appeal.

Its Trails initiative, which includes the famous Blues Trail and Country Music Trail, keeps the travelers rolling in, while the Mississippi Film Office puts the state to film for everybody to see. Oddly enough, like Florida, Mississippi attracts those looking for a rest. The Welcome Home initiative has been attracting retirees to the county seat of Aberdeen.

As the former home of Elvis Presley, rumors of Mississippi’s declining appeal seem exaggerated.