According to the Mississippi Gaming Commission, the state’s 26 casinos attracted more than 20 million visitors last year. More than half of them came from outside the state, mostly driving in from Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. But charter airline services now account for 25 percent of passengers traveling to the Gulfport-Biloxi Airport, said airport Executive Director Clay Williams.
He said Mississippi coastal-area casinos offer an increasingly successful charter program. “It’s incredible how the program has grown. It now accounts for approximately 25 percent of passengers traveling to our airport. Sun Country Airlines, headquartered in Minneapolis, is bringing visitors from 90 cities. It’s a significant program and we feel it generates more travel as visitors return,” Williams said.
He added, “Any night you drive by here there are visitors from up to seven different cities. We’re very excited that we’ve had more than 8,000 round trips and filled l.6 million rooms with the charter program. Beyond that, we’re excited to show coastal Mississippi.” Williams noted visitors who fly in stay longer and have a higher level of discretionary income compared to those who drive.
Beau Rivage Casino Resort Vice President of Marketing Sean Farrell said Sun Country charter flights started in 2008 and expanded in 2014. “Every single day we have two flights arriving and two departing. The airport has been a fantastic partner,” Farrell said. He added later this month, Sun Country and Beau Rivage expect to welcome the one millionth passenger in Gulfport with great fanfare.
Farrell noted passengers do not have to be gamblers. “We target the company’s database, but we have packages for everyone. It can be hard to get here and that’s why we built this program. It’s an amazing destination and once people are introduced to it, they want to come back. We don’t have large metropolitan populations to draw from like some casinos do and we want to be more than just a drive-in market,” Farrell stated. He noted Beau Rivage reserves 500 rooms per night for fly-in visitors.
Williams said the number of visitors flying into the area is increasing as additional Coast casinos offer their own charters. He said, “We’re pleased that Harrah’s Gulf Coast is growing their charter program with 15 to 20 flights a month. Island View Casino and IP Casino are also participating in scheduled service such as Allegiant Air. These ultra-low carriers have made it possible by the gaming industry’s participation to bring visitors here who might not otherwise come here. Gaming is vitally important to the air service here. It makes a difference in the services we provide, retail and concession offerings and the number of jobs created.”
“Our core customer is the gamer but it’s very important that we offer non-gaming amenities that complement their visit,” says Webster Franklin. “The showrooms within our casino resorts offer a wide range of big-name entertainment and the culinary options range from all-you-can-eat buffets to the best in fine dining. Outside of the resorts, our two golf courses and museums dedicated to our rich history serve to enhance our visitors’ experiences and extend their stay in Tunica.”
