Ellington

A report from the Mississippi Development Authority shows that tourism is the fifth-largest private-sector employer in the state.

More than 2 million people visited welcome centers in Mississippi in 2011, the report says, with almost 50,000 of them coming from other countries. In both 2010 and 2011, Canada, England and Germany topped the list as the most common countries of origin for international visitors.

Of the visitors from within the United States, most came from Mississippi or from nearby states, such as Louisiana, Alabama and Texas.

The most popular state park last year was Paul B. Johnson State Park, located outside of Hattiesburg. The park attracted more than 139,000 visits in 2011. LeFleur's Bluff State Park in Jackson attracted more than 95,000 visits.

The 30 state-licensed casinos in Mississippi brought in $2.3 billion in gross gaming revenues in 2011, the report found.