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Post-Katrina spotlight re-energizes Tunica market growth.

Article Excerpt
Already the third-largest gaming market in the U.S. with more than 12 million annual visitors spending more than $1 billion, Tunica County saw a boost in business--and international exposure--after Hurricane Katrina damage temporarily shut down the Mississippi Gulf Coast gaming industry.

"Hurricane Katrina allowed us to expose the Tunica properties to many people much farther away than our typical market radius, who might not otherwise have visited while the Coast has been rebuilding," said Webster Franklin, CEO of the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). "What that's done is re-energize our area in growth. Golf rounds the last two years have doubled from what they were. There were 82,000 golf rounds. With 1-69 opening the first stretch of interstate highway to this area, the next phase of growth will be more from a community standpoint. Housing developments are taking place. Two have been announced. One has broken ground at Tunica National Golf and Tennis, where they'll be building houses around the golf course. As well, we're all eagerly awaiting River Bend Crossing, which is the big entertainment district that will be in DeSoto County but right on the border with Tunica County. As the infrastructure continues to develop, the outlook for the market is really good."

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