NATCHEZ — The Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau was honored with a tourism research award at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism this week.

Natchez Tourism Director Connie Taunton said the Mississippi Tourism Association and the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Division presented the award in recognition of the CVB’s research efforts for the state agencies.

The CVB, Taunton said, has been gathering information for the state about tourism infrastructure and business.

“For example, we looked into how much (Magnolia Bluffs Casino) spent on building permits with the city, their investment in the community and things like that,” she said. “We did the same thing with the county when Roux 61 was built.”

The CVB’s other research efforts include a detailed strategic planning study that Young Strategies is currently conducting, Taunton said.

The goal of the study, Taunton said, is to identify the strengths and shortcomings of the CVB and the local tourism industry.

“It is to tell us where we are with our tourism efforts, where we are lacking in our tourism product, what areas we have key advantages and disadvantages,” she said.

The study will also evaluate the CVB’s staff.

“It should show the areas within my staff where we need to improve,” Taunton said. “It’s also going to tell us if we are understaffed or overstaffed or if our staff isn’t performing at their highest level.”

The study will also evaluate the CVB board members.

Young Strategies President Berkley Young and his staff have been in Natchez experiencing and evaluating the local tourism industry from the viewpoint of a tourist, Taunton said.

Young will present his company’s findings to the mayor and board of aldermen in October, Taunton said.

“Hopefully it will lead us in the right direction to the changes I need to make as a department head and within the tourism industry,” she said. “I will work on whatever recommendations (Young) says we need to address.”

Taunton said she is honored the CVB was recognized for its research.

“Research is so important for us to stay ahead of the game in the industry,” she said. “We’ve got to know where are visitors are coming from and what we’re investing in tourism, so that we can be competitive in our marketing efforts and make sure we’re putting our dollars to work the best.”

Other awards presented at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism include:

4Travel media, newspaper: The Vicksburg Post

4Travel media, broadcast: “Vicksburg: A 150-Year Walk Through History” by Walt Grayson

4CVBs of the year: Tishomingo County Tourism Council, Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Oxford and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau.