The future looks bright for the tourism industry in Mobile.
City leaders are touting the return of Carnival Cruise Lines to the city next year, the new GulfQuest Maritime Museum just opened near the downtown cruise terminal, and the region's is economy looks good. Despite its rich history, antebellum architecture and emerging art and music scene, locals say Mobile has long been overlooked by tourists heading west to New Orleans or east to the Florida Panhandle.
George Talbot, a spokesman for the city's mayor, says the city is finally emerging as a top Southern tourist destination. Talbot says the decision by Carnival to return to Mobile along with the new, $600 million Airbus assembly plant and a general revitalization of the downtown are signs of a good future.