Photo gallery
Download photos from our destination partners to use online and in print.
Contact information
MRC state representatives
- Elisa Marcus, International Marketing Manager, Illinois Office of Tourism, [email protected]
- Margaret Fuqua, Director of Sales, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, [email protected]
- Jill Kilgore, Senior Communications Manager, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, [email protected]
- Paula Travis, Director – Office of Domestic & International Sales, Visit Mississippi, [email protected]
- Katie Coats, Director of Marketing & Communications, Visit Mississippi, [email protected]
- Sharon Calcote, Louisiana Byways & Trails Director, Louisiana Office of Tourism, [email protected]
MRC destination partner representatives
- Olivia Markase, Account Executive, New Orleans & Company, [email protected]
- Jennifer Schak, Market Development Manager, Explore Minnesota, [email protected]
- Julie Sur, Executive Director – Public Relations, TimeZoneOne (Illinois), [email protected]
- Matthew Guillory, Director, Europe and India – Tourism and Global Development, Choose Chicago, [email protected]
Colleges & universities
Data from opendoors.org
Illinois
- 62,299 international students, 35.2% from India (#1)*
- Top institutions** – University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois-Chicago, Northwestern University (Evanston)
*rank by place of origin for all international students
**includes enrollment by international students from all places of origin
Louisiana
- 6,891 international students, 8.4% from India (#4)
- Top institutions – Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge), Tulane University (New Orleans)
Mississippi
- 3,135 international students, 17.6% from India (#1)
- Top institutions – Mississippi State University (Starkville), University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg), University of Mississippi – “Ole Miss” (Oxford)
Tennessee
- 10,041 International students, 29.4% from India (#1)
- Top institutions – Vanderbilt University (Nashville), University of Memphis, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Indian restaurants & chefs of note
Illinois
- Indienne (Chicago) – Michelin starred; James Beard nominee (Best Chef Great Lakes 2024 – Sujan Sarkar)
- The Coach House (Chicago) – James Beard nominee (Emerging Chef of the Year 2024 – Zubair Mohajir)
Louisiana
- Saffron Nola (New Orleans) – James Beard nominee (Best Chef South 2024 – Arvinder Vikhu, Best New Restaurant 2018)
Mississippi
- Snackbar (Oxford) – James Beard winner & nominee (Best Chef 2019 – Vishwesh Bhatt, nominee 2012-18)
Tennessee
- Tailor (Nashville) – James Beard nominee (Best Chef 2020 – Vivek Surti)
How to get to MRC
Illinois
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (Chicago-Delhi daily flight on Air India)
- Chicago Midway International Airport
Louisiana
Mississippi
Tennessee
Luxury accommodations in MRC
Illinois
- Chicago – Kimpton Gray Hotel, Pendry Chicago, The Langham, The Peninsula, Four Seasons Chicago, The Drake Hotel, Nobu
- Goldmoor Inn & Resort, Galena – Suites, cabins & cottages on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River
- Jail Hill Inn, Galena – former county jail building that was the #1 rated B&B in the country (and #2 in the world) by TripAdvsor
Louisiana
- New Orleans – The Windsor Court, The Roosevelt New Orleans, Four Seasons New Orleans, The Ritz-Carlton, Maison Metier, Hotel Monteleone
- Lake Charles (western Louisiana) – L’Auberge Casino Resort, Golden Nugget
- The Inn at Houmas House Estate – luxurious cottages surrounded by lush gardens at a former plantation home
Mississippi
- Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens, Natchez – 19th-century mansion and National Historic Landmark that offers rooms & suites among 26 acres of gardens
- Gulf Coast – Beau Rivage Resort & Casino (Biloxi), Palace Casino Resort (Biloxi)
- The Oliver Hotel of Oxford – Renovated in 2023, this boutique hotel offers 40 well-appointed rooms in the heart of Oxford, home to Ole Miss University
Tennessee
- Nashville – 1 Hotel Nashville, Four Seasons Nashville, The Hermitage Hotel, The Joseph, Conrad Nashville
- Blackberry Farm, Walland – 5-star luxury resort in the Smoky Mountains that has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure & more
- The Peabody Memphis – luxury hotel famous for the “Peabody Ducks” who live on the roof and are escorted to and from the lobby’s fountain every day
River & Lake Cruises in Mississippi River Country
Multi-day cruises on the Mississippi River
- Viking Cruises: Routes offered include a New Orleans round trip (8 days), Heart of the Delta (New Orleans to Memphis, 8 days), America’s Heartland (St. Louis to St. Paul, 8 days) and America’s Great River (St. Paul to New Orleans, 15 days)
- American Cruise Lines: Take a New Orleans round trip, travel the Upper or Lower Mississippi or explore the entire river on an expansive three-week tour
Day Trips on the Mississippi River
- Spirit of Peoria: This old-fashioned replica of a 19th-century riverboat docks at the riverfront in Peoria on the Illinois River but also offers sightseeing, dinner and multi-day tours of the Mississippi River.
- Memphis Riverboats: On Tennessee’s western border, Memphis Riverboats offers authentic riverboat cruises on the Mississippi River
- New Orleans Steamboat Company: Take a ride on one of the company’s iconic paddlewheelers—the Steamboat Natchez or the Riverboat City of New Orleans to take in the sights of the Big Easy
Other Options
- Chicago River Cruises & Lake Michigan Tours: Explore Chicago’s history and architecture or enjoy a trip on one of the Great Lakes in Illinois
- Nashville River Cruises: Explore the sights of Music City on the General Jackson Showboat
- Gulf Coast Cruises: Enjoy a trip on the Gulf of Mexico along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast
Birding areas in Mississippi River Country
Illinois
- Montrose Point, Chicago: 300+ species recorded at this park on Lake Michigan in Chicago
- Illinois Beach State Park, Zion: Diverse habitats on the shores of Lake Michigan in northern Illinois
- Mississippi Palisades State Park, Savanna: Mississippi River and its backwaters are home to 200 migrating species and bald eagles in the winter
Louisiana
- Grand Isle State Park: Located on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico that is an important stop for migrating birds
- Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge: More than 270 species of birds have been observed at this marsh area by Lake Pontchartrain
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park/Barataria Preserve: 23,000 acres of woods and wetlands just south of downtown New Orleans
Mississippi
- Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve: A designated Audubon Important Bird Area on the Gulf Coast on the Mississippi/Alabama border
- Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge: Gulf Coast refuge dedicated to protecting one of the rarest bird subspecies in the world, the Mississippi Sandhill Crane
- Gulf Islands National Seashore: 6 major islands that offer great viewing across forests, marshes, bayous, and open water
Tennessee
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Located in eastern Tennessee and stretches for more than 800 square miles, offers a wide diversity of bird species
- Roan Mountain State Park: Provides an opportunity to see many species of the high Appalachian Mountains
- Frozen Head State Park: 24,000-acre state park in Cumberland Mountains is a popular spot for high-elevation nesting birds
Food, music & culture trails
Illinois
- Frank Lloyd Wright Trail: Features 12 Wright-designed buildings, including two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Robie House in Chicago and Unity Temple in Oak Park) and his home & studio in Oak Park
- Scenic & historic byways: Illinois is home to 7 historic byways, including Route 66 (celebrating its centennial in 2026) and the Great River Road
Louisiana
- Louisiana Culinary Trails: Creole Crescent (New Orleans), Tammany Taste (New Orleans’ Northshore), Prairie Home Cooking (central), Capital Cravings (Baton Rouge), Bayou Bounty (Cajun Country – Lafayette), Seafood Sensation (southwest/Gulf), Red River Riches (northwest – Natchitoches, Shreveport), Delta Delights (northeast – Monroe)
- Bayou Teche National Water Trail: Canoe or kayak through 15 communities and 4 parishes on this 135-mile scenic route in southern Louisiana
- Audubon Golf Trail: 18 courses designed by Arnold Palmer, Hal Sutton & others that highlight state’s natural beauty
Mississippi
- Mississippi Blues Trail: More than 200 Blues Trail markers across Mississippi highlight important places, people & events in blues history
- Mississippi Freedom Trail: Churches, schools, courthouses, museums & other important Civil Rights sites throughout the state
Tennessee
- Tennessee Music Pathways: Statewide driving tour that includes hundreds of landmarks across the state representing 7 genres of music (blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, rock ’n roll)
Movie & TV attractions
Illinois
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Wrigley Field, Art Institute of Chicago & Willis Tower (Chicago)
- The Dark Knight (2008) – Old Chicago Post Office & McCormick Place (Chicago)
- The Untouchables (1987) – Chicago Board and Trade Building
- Groundhog Day (1993) – Woodstock
- The Blues Brothers (1980) – Old Joliet Prison
- Chicago Fire (2012-present) – Chicago Fire Department’s Engine 18
Louisiana
- Interview with the Vampire (1994) – Oak Alley Plantation (Vacherie)
- Jurassic World (2015) – New Orleans
- Green Book (2018) – new Orleans, Houmas House Plantation (Darrow), Metarie, Hammond
- Easy Rider (1969) – St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (New Orleans)
- NCIS: New Orleans (2014-21) – Bourbon Street, Louis Armstrong Park, Jackson Square, Plaza Tower
Mississippi
- True Blood (2008-14) – Longwood Mansion (Natchez)
- Get On Up (2014) – Mississippi Coliseum & Thalia Mara Hall (Jackson), Dunleith Historic Inn (Natchez)
- The Help (2011) – Brent’s Drugs, Mississippi Capitol & Mayflower Café (Jackson)
- O Brother Where Art Thou (2000) – D’Lo Water Park (Mendenhall), Courthouse Square (Canton)
- A Time to Kill (1996) – Canton
Tennessee
- Elvis Presley attractions in Memphis – Graceland, Beale Street, Sun Studio
- The Firm (1993) – Memphis
- Walk the Line (2005) – Memphis
- The Green Mile (1999) – Tennessee State Prison (Cockrill Bend)
- Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) – Ryman Auditorium (Nashville)
- 42: The Jackie Robinson Story (2103) – Engel Stadium (Chattanooga)
Casinos in Mississippi River Country
Illinois
- 16 casinos
- Largest is Rivers Casino Des Plaines (30 minutes northwest of downtown near O’ Hare)
- Newest are Bally’s Chicago, Wind Creek Chicago Southland (30 minutes south of downtown), and Hard Rock Casino Rockford (1 hour 15 minutes west of Chicago)
Louisiana
- 5 federal Indian casinos, 43 state-run casinos
- Largest casino is Coushatta Casino Resort (southwest Louisiana, 2 hours from Baton Rouge)
- New Orleans casinos – Caesar’s New Orleans (formerly Harrah’s), Boomtown New Orleans, New Orleans Fairground Race Course & Slots
Mississippi
- 3 federal Indian casinos, 30 state-run casinos
- Mississippi Gulf Coast – 12 casinos, including the Beau Rivage in Biloxi (state’s largest casino), Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Biloxi), Palace Casino Resort (Biloxi), Island View Casino Resort (Gulfport)
- Tunica Resorts – 6 casino resorts in northwestern Mississippi (45 minutes south of Memphis)
Tennessee
- None