Governor Greg Abbott has congratulated the City of Mexia for being named a Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community by Travel Texas. The designation follows Mexia’s completion of a certification process and highlights the city’s efforts to use tourism as a strategy for economic growth, job creation, and attracting visitors from across the country and internationally.
“Tourism is critical to both our local and state economies,” said Governor Abbott. “Travelers to and within Texas generate almost $200 billion in annual economic impact and support 1.3 million jobs across the state. I congratulate the City of Mexia on earning this designation. All Texas communities are encouraged to apply to become a Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community to further grow local tourism and jobs across our great state.”
Senator Charles Schwertner commented, “At the heart of Mexia is warm hospitality and authentic Texas heritage. This designation will attract new visitors, support our small businesses, and strengthen Mexia’s place as a valued destination in our region.”
Representative Angelia Orr also praised the city’s achievement: “As the State Representative for the City of Mexia, I could not be more proud of the city’s designation as a Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community. This achievement is the result of the hard work and dedication of the families, local officials, and small business owners who take pride in their community. Thank you to Governor Abbott for recognizing how special this town is, and I encourage everyone to come experience what Mexia has to offer.”
Mayor Geary Smith stated, “Mexia is honored to be recognized as a Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community. We’re excited to welcome more visitors to experience our rich heritage, vibrant music culture, and small-town charm with big-hearted people.”
Stacey Bush, Executive Director of the Mexia Economic Development Corporation, said, “Earning the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community designation is a key step in Mexia’s ongoing efforts to drive economic growth through tourism. As an economic development organization, we recognize that attracting visitors not only supports local businesses but also creates opportunities for long-term investment in our community.”
The Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program allows local governments or non-profit organizations leading tourism promotion efforts to seek certification. The benefits include building relationships important for tourism development, educating leaders about tourism’s role in the state economy, prioritizing strategies tailored locally, and learning about resources from Travel Texas and other state programs that support communities as well as travel industry partners. More information about this program can be found at gov.texas.gov/tourism-friendly-texas.
Travel Texas operates within the Governor’s Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office with a mission focused on supporting local economic development by marketing Texas as a top travel destination outside of state borders and internationally.
