PEER reviewed the Department of Economic Development’s Division of Tourism’s purchase of the 1987 Mississippi Travel Guide. The division made the purchase agreement without receiving competitive bids; the agreement allows Savoir-Faire, Inc., a private magazine publisher, to be the sole provider of the state’s travel guide and receive all related advertising revenue. While the PEER Committee supports Division of Tourism efforts to contain costs and effectively deliver services, the Committee does not endorse this method of contracting because it places the state in a position which could potentially affect the competitive balance that exists in the private publishing industry.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.