Tourism generated $107 million in Natchez and Adams County in 2014 and more than 20 percent of those employed here work in the tourism and travel industry.

It’s a healthy industry, and city and business leaders are working to nurture and grow it.

Part of that effort by the city is a grant application for $10 million to construct additional docking for riverboats at Roth’s Hill.

Right now, one such vessel can dock in Natchez at Under-The-Hill.

However, riverboat traffic is increasing and city officials say by the summer of 2016, during the Natchez tricentennial, several are expected to make stops here.

In addition, luxury European cruise liner company Viking River Cruises announced earlier this year it would begin North American operations based out of New Orleans and launch Mississippi River cruises by 2017.

The additional docking in Natchez is a necessity to take advantage of the tourism and travel dollars generated by these growing ventures.

In an attempt to bolster the city’s chances of landing the grant fund, city officials are those involved in travel and tourism, such as restaurant and hotel operators, to write letters of support for the additional dock in Natchez.

Letters should be sent to the city’s planning department, located on the second floor of city hall at 124 S. Pearl St., Natchez by Monday.

We encourage business and civic leaders to take the time to write such a letter supporting the additional dock here and the grant application.

The business you help in doing so may be your own.