As the “Birthplace of America’s Music,” Mississippi has never been at a loss for cultural and historical attractions. In recent years, the city of Jackson has reinvested in tourism by embracing its deep musical roots and making downtown a center for the community, families, and tourists. Nothing shows this investment better than the new, luxury Westin hotel that opened earlier this month. The state-of-the-art property, located in the heart of the city, will serve as the perfect spot for business and leisure travelers alike.

It’s projects like these that contribute to growing visitation, increasing to 23 million visitors in 2016, which helps lift Mississippi’s economy. Last year, out-of-state visitors spent $4.8 billion in Mississippi contributing to over 86,000 direct travel and tourism jobs, the most in 11 years. At a national level, tourism generated $157.8 billion in local, state and federal tax revenue while supporting 15.3 million jobs nationwide.

For Mississippi, there is huge potential to grow the tourism industry. By prioritizing travel promotion, welcoming international visitors, and reinvesting in our airports, Mississippi can become a top destination in the southeast. Last week, travel leaders from across the state sat down with Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Gregg Harper at tourism roundtables to reinforce this message as they continue their work in Congress.

It all starts with attracting visitors to Mississippi. To do this, we must invest in travel promotion. Mississippi’s tourism marketing budget is less than $3 million, the lowest in the southeast. Without travel and tourism, Mississippi would lose 124,000 jobs. Tourism promotion is an investment that yields unprecedented returns. Just look at our national travel promotion arm, Brand USA. For each dollar spent on marketing, it returns $25 dollars to our nation’s economy. Spending on travel promotion is a bet worth making.

Along with hard dollars, we also need to invest in a welcoming sentiment to international travelers. This past year, Mississippi saw a 4.8% decrease in international travelers. We must work to welcome legitimate travelers while prioritizing secure travel. This starts with protecting the Visa Waiver Program, a program where close to 40 countries share security information to make travel safe and convenient. With most of our visitors coming from Canada and the United Kingdom, the Visa Waiver Program is critical for international visitors making their way to Mississippi. With Sen. Wicker and Rep. Harper’s help, we hope to protect this program so our economy can reap the benefits.

The final step for travel facilitation is investment in our airports. Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport serves as the gateway to our state. Reinvesting in its infrastructure and expanding air service is essential to boosting travel to Mississippi. To do so, we need members of Congress to lift the cap on the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), the airport user fee that directly funds projects at airports. The PFC has been capped at $4.50 for over a decade, leaving airports like Jackson unable to raise the funds to accomplish much needed infrastructure improvements and attract new airline routes.

It is both an exciting and critical time for the travel industry in Mississippi. We have made great strides in making our state a destination, but there are still steps we can take to support travel and tourism. Sen. Wicker and Rep. Harper have always been strong champions of our industry, and with their help on tourism promotion, international travel, and airport modernization, we can ensure tourism remains a top job creator for Mississippi.

Mike Cashion is executive director of the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association.