TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- What makes you want to make the drive to Tupelo?
That's where the city's convention and visitors bureau steps in.
A recent survey they commissioned shows people want to be engaged when they come to Tupelo and if they are, they stay longer.
"We have seen success with placement of ads and recruitment of conventions, but this day and age it takes more than just that," CVB executive director Neal McCoy said.
It's something tourism officials are challenged with every year across north Mississippi; how do you market and promote your city or town? How do you make it stand out above the rest? For Tupelo, that answer's a bit obvious.
"They all enjoy seeing the home where [Elvis] was born. That's very significant in the history of our city and rock-n-roll," McCoy said. "However, they want to do things like record a record [here] or maybe they want to play a guitar in the same place that he played."
And those are things McCoy said can only be done in Tupelo.
That's part of the reason Dallas resident Jeff Cantrell came to the birthplace. After all, he said he was already in town on business. But what might make someone like him stay?
"I think to just get outside and do some outdoor activities would be great to be here, to relax and get peace of mind," Cantrell said.
Then there's the problem of the same demographic of people coming to the same events.
McCoy says the diversity that's been added in recent years by other organizations should address that, like the Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel and Art Rocks Tupelo.
What they want to focus on now is more nighttime entertainment.
"And when we say 'nighttime entertainment,' it doesn't have to be a Beale Street-type thing where people are out drinking and it's not a family-type atmosphere. We're saying nightly programmed entertainment and that could be someone out under an oak tree holding sing-a-longs that people could participate in," McCoy said.
