Hattiesburg Train Depot

Celebrate Tourism Week: 10 Ways to Rediscover Your Town

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Happy National Travel and Tourism Week!

To celebrate, here are ideas on how to rediscover your town by becoming a local tourist!

“Local” has become a new buzzword. “Shop local”, “Think local”, and “Eat local” are just a few of the many slogans out there. It seems as the world gets more connected and as we become more global, the more we appreciate “local”. When we travel, we not only want to see the tourist attractions, many of us also want to eat local food, drink local beer, and visit the local hang outs. But what about your own town is left to discover or rediscover?

10 WAYS TO REDISCOVER YOUR TOWN:

  1. Learn the history of your town. Visit your local historical society, libraries, and historical sites. Listen to stories from older residents and look at old photos.
  1. Walk through neighborhoods and business districts that you normally drive through.
  1. Write down the name of every restaurant in your town that you have not been to. The next time you go out to eat choose from that list.
  1. Play host! Invite friends or family to town and show them around.
  1. Visit your tourism, city, or chamber of commerce websites. Make a list of attractions, places to visit, or interesting businesses you haven’t been to and check off as you visit.
  1. Attend an event that you either normally would not attend or just have never had the opportunity to attend, such as a late-night live music event, an orchestra performance, a play, a baseball game, a local street fair or festival, or sports, arts, or other events at the local high schools or colleges.
  1. Drive your town. Take a Sunday drive visiting unfamiliar neighborhoods, the countryside and outskirts, downtown, and even the new developments.
  1. Bring locally made art, books, and other locally made products into your home and workplace. Keep some on hand to give as gifts for guests who visit.
  1. Listen to a radio station that plays local music.
  1. Visit your local visitor’s center for any ideas you may have missed.

How will you #RediscoverYourTown?