Visit Jackson named 2026 Dmo of the Year, wins two more honors
JANS – Visit Jackson, the official destination marketing organization for Mississippi’s capital city, received three honors at the Mississippi Tourism Association’s Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held this year in Oxford, Mississippi.
The organization was named Destination Marketing Organization of the Year for DMOs with budgets of $3 million or more. It also won Best Overall Traditional Media for ABC News coverage of Hezekiah Watkins. Jonathan Pettus, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, received the Terry Watkins Mississippi Tourism Association Member of the Year award.
“Every one of these honors comes back to people,” said Dr. Rickey Thigpen, President and CEO of Visit Jackson. “There are the partners and legislators who stood with us, a Freedom Rider who trusted us with his story, and a colleague who gives so much of himself to this industry. That’s what the City With Soul looks like when it shows up, and I’m grateful to everyone who made this year possible.”
Visit Jackson was named DMO of the Year for its work from June 2025 through May 2026. The year’s biggest milestone was helping pass Senate Bill 3328, which provides sustainable, long-term funding for tourism promotion and destination development. The bill passed unanimously in the Mississippi Senate and 118–2 in the House but must be approved by a 60% margin from Jackson voters on November 3 of this year. Over the same period, Jackson’s hotel occupancy rose 12%, hotel demand passed 408,000 room nights, and hotel revenue reached $57 million, up $5.7 million from the year before.
“Visit Jackson demonstrates the important role a destination organization can play not only in attracting visitors, but in helping shape the future of a community,” said MTA Executive Director Danielle Morgan. “Their work reflects a comprehensive approach to destination management that brings together marketing, sales, visitor experience, partnerships, and community development to create meaningful economic impact.”
The Best Overall Traditional Media award honors the work to tell the story and bring about an apology for Hezekiah Watkins. In 1961, at 13, he wandered into a Freedom Riders’ arrest at Jackson’s Greyhound station and was wrongly sent to Parchman Prison. Today, the youngest known Freedom Rider is a docent at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Visit Jackson worked with Visit Mississippi and Lou Hammond Group to bring ABC News Senior National Correspondent Steve Osunsami to Jackson to interview him. When the ABC team learned Watkins had long wished for an official apology, Visit Jackson worked with Ward 7 Councilman Kevin Parkinson’s office and Mayor John Horhn’s office to help make it happen. Horhn apologized on January 19, 2026, the same day the segment aired nationally on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis.
The Terry Watkins Member of the Year award goes to a volunteer member who goes above and beyond to improve the organization. Pettus has been with Visit Jackson since 2015. He serves on the Mississippi Tourism Association board, is a leader of the Mississippi DMO Marketing Association, and is a past president of the American Advertising Federation of Jackson. Teams he leads have won numerous Advertising Federation awards; Gold, Silver, and Bronze Adrian Awards; US Travel ESTO Awards; and multiple Mississippi Tourism Association honors. This year, Pettus also earned the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) credential.
“Jonathan is the kind of member every association hopes to have,” said Morgan. “He brings his experience, creativity, and leadership to the table, but more importantly, he is always willing to roll up his sleeves and do the work whenever he is called upon.”
The Natchez Trace Compact, whose President is Visit Jackson staff member Paul Wolf, also received the Tom VanHyning Award. The award goes to a member who conducts and uses research to make data-driven decisions that grow tourism in Mississippi. It is named for Tom VanHyning, a beloved former state economist who served Mississippi tourism for decades and taught the industry the importance and value of good research.
