re: Natchez, MS and the lack of tourism compared with other quaint weekend getaway places

another problem in Natchez is that the historical society (I think its them) wont let people who own the old houses downtown do what they want with them. According to the historical society, everything about the outside of the house must be historically appropriate for the time the house was built.

That turns many people off, so instead of buying the old house and fixing it up/maintaining it, the houses go unsold and the recent owners move out or die and the houses deteriorate.

so youll drive downtown and see a street with beautiful houses and one crumbling house.

I think that if you are trying to revitalize the tourism industry, let someone buy these old houses and make them as eclectic and funky as they want, that would add more character to downtown and might bring more young people.