Washington, Aug. 16 (BUS) – Elvis Presley’s Birthplace and Museum in Tupelo, Mississippi, welcomed a growing number of visitors as fans commemorate the 45th anniversary of Presley’s death and a new movie sparks international interest in the singer.
Roy Turner was named CEO of the birthplace last fall after longtime leader Dick Gayton retired, according to the Associated Press.
The Northeast Mississipi Daily Journal reports that Turner’s biggest challenge is getting visitors back to Tupelo’s top attractions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Place of Birth saw more visitors this year than in the past two years.
“It really picked up on the 1st of April in steady increments, and then when the movie came out, it really rebounded,” he said.
The movie “Elvis” directed by Baz Luhrmann was a worldwide success. With international tourists typically making up 60% of Hometown visitors, the King of rock and roll could not have been released at a better time.
Fans make the annual pilgrimage to Memphis, Tennessee, for events during “Elvis Week,” the annual celebration of his life and career in the days surrounding the anniversary of his death.
Most notable is the candlelight vigil at the white-columned Presley Mansion, where he died on August 16, 1977.
During the vigil, devotees hold candles as they solemnly walk through the Meditation Garden, where Presley is buried alongside relatives. This year, thousands of fans attended the vigil that began Monday night and ended Tuesday morning.
Birthplace is Tupelo, about 94 miles (151 kilometers) southeast of Graceland. Only last November, Turner said, a bus of visitors became the first international tour group at the site since January 2020.
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