We’re not saying that $66 million is a lot of money, we’re just saying that …. wait … yes, we are saying $66 million is a lot of money. By anyone’s standards $66 million is a lot of money.

That figure represents the amount of money tourism brought in to the Dallas County economy last year.

As the number one industry in our area, tourism is crucial and is an industry we all have a vital role in contributing to.

In the coming weeks, events such as the Battle of Selma and the major athletic events at Memorial Stadium, will again attract hundreds and thousands of visitors to our city.

And, just like when we travel, these visitors will book hotel rooms, eat dinner and fill up their cars right here.

You can almost hear the cash registers ringing.

But, we cannot take their visit and their money for granted. Their visit and their patronage is something that we must continue to appreciate by working hard to show these visitors just how much we appreciate them coming to Selma and Dallas County.

And, that all starts with the employees at area hotels, waiters and waitresses at local restaurants and average citizen walking down the street offering a simply “hello.”

We must ensure these visitors — just like the thousands who came to town for Jubilee and other events so far this year — have a visit they remember for all the right reasons.

We must make sure their visit is a win-win for both us as a community and them as our guests, our customers.

It’s time to roll out the welcome mat again… we’ve got company coming.