NATCHEZ — The sound of tourism in Natchez isn’t just the clop of horses hooves, and the sights aren’t just houses anymore.

Now, they include the whir of an electric motor or the silent slide of a gator back under the brackish water of a Louisiana bayou.

For a long time, tourism in the Miss-Lou was centered around the preservation and showcasing of Natchez’s antebellum and historic homes.

But in recent years, local operators have been seeking to expand the market to include not only a look at the area’s Old South heritage but other highlights as well.

“Because tourism has grown so much in the last eight to 10 years, I really think there is a need to add and enhance the overall tourism product offering we have,” tour operator Sally Durkin said. “Diversification is always a good thing, and it allows for more opportunities for people.”

In Jim Bob Allgood’s case, diversification was bringing his experience promoting other destinations with the “Redneck Adventures” TV show home — the Miss-Lou has plenty of opportunities for eco-tours, pontoon boat outings, water activities, hunting and fishing. Miss-Lou Tours was born.

“After 16 years of doing it, a couple of years back, I saw there was a need for doing those kinds of things in our own backyard,” Allgood said.

“We are blending in (outdoors tours) for the people that we are trying to bring to the area, either to stay in lodges on the lake, at bed-and-breakfasts or the local area hotels, so that they can get a total feel for Natchez. They can stay multiple days and enjoy the antebellum homes, and then also have the opportunities to go outdoors while they are here.”

In the case of the eco-tours, Miss-Lou Tours takes people to area lakes, swamps and backwaters and shows them birds, alligators and other animals in their natural habitats.

“They can see up close wildlife in its natural habitat, and they can do everything from skeet shooting with us to every kind all kinds of outdoor activities,” he said.

“I have seen the demand in other towns a lot like ours, but with our wildlife and lakes and scenic outings, there is a huge demand for it out there in other parts of America and other parts of the world.

“Last week, I took a honeymooning couple out and they saw 10 alligators — seven of those were probably 10-feet long — and they were amazed like they were seeing dinosaurs.”

Meeting a need was part of what pushed the recent launch of Tourology, a company that recently designated as the official tour reception operator for the Mississippi Blues Commission, owner René Adams said.

One of the ways that need is being met through Tourology is through offering specialized tours that take into consideration the entire region — for example, the Mississippi Blues Trail.

“I’ve been in the tourism industry since 1988, and have worked my way up in the Mississippi Tourism Associatoin, and have done regional booking in Natchez for a long time,” she said. “Nobody else was offering a specialized, custom package. We are trying to make it simple for the traveler — right now there are no single itineraries for the traveler. You’re having to pull from each community.”

In some instances, operators are taking an old idea and giving it new life and incorporating new storytelling techniques.

Durkin recently launched Open Air Tours, a downtown tour in a six-seater Polaris Global Electric Motorcar, reaching out to tourists who — for whatever reason — might have qualms about taking a horse drawn carriage.

“I got the idea to do this from New Orleans, because they have a business that rents those GEM cars by the day and half day,” Durkin said. “Instead of allowing people to drive it themselves, a friend said to me, ‘As much as you know about the history of Natchez, you should start doing tours.’”

The tour is similar to the one the horse-drawn carriage drivers take, but incorporates four more blocks. Durkin also shows the customers historic photos of the stops along the way on an iPad, demonstrating past and present — for example, stopping at a corner on Franklin Street.

“I will pull over where the photographer was standing, and I will pull out that photo and show it from his perspective, then I will say, ‘Turn and look over your right shoulder and you will see it,’” Durkin said. “Then I talk about how we have been able to maintain the character and integrity of our historic district, and not just about our historic homes.”