MOBILE, Ala. — Every little bit helps when it comes to the cash generated by tourism. That’s the idea behind a new advertising and public relations push designed to persuade guests of Carnival Cruise Lines to visit area attractions while they’re in the neighborhood, instead of confining their memories of the Gulf Coast to the interior of a cruise terminal.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones and Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau officials on Thursday announced the “Arrive Early” campaign, urging Carnival Cruise passengers to “vacation before your vacation.”

It’s hoped a series of print ads and radio spots created by Red Square Agency will convince cruise passengers to pencil in on their itinerary an extra couple of days in the Mobile Bay area. The campaign will target Carnival feeder markets, including Nashville, Chattanooga, Birmingham and Huntsville.

The desire to have Carnival’s customer base hang around a while longer could have a significant impact, especially when the Holiday, which is currently docked in Mobile, is replaced by the much larger Fantasy.

The newer ship was recently refurbished, and will begin cruises from Mobile in November. It can comfortably carry 42 percent more guests when it sets sail.

The arrival of Fantasy is another major step in the city’s relationship with Carnival, and tourism officials have already been working to capitalize on it. CVB members traveled to Birmingham in April and Nashville in May to spread the word that the area is leaving the light on for those who would like to spend more time here.

“Our five-year relationship has been growing,” said Joni Rein, Carnival vice president of worldwide sales. She pointed out that before the economy turned sour, folks were willing to drive a maximum of six hours to board a cruise ship. To cut the cost of bringing the entire family, however, the top drive time has increased to 10 hours, something that makes local hotel bookings more likely.

The results of a survey just released by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell College of Business indicates that although Baldwin County is currently reaping some of the benefits from the cruise industry, it is only a small piece of the pie.

Dr. Semoon Chang, center director, said Carnival has an $11.6 million annual economic impact in Baldwin and Mobile counties. He noted that while the cruise line’s presence has exceeded expectations, most of the dollars have thus far remained in Mobile.

More than 92 percent of Holiday passengers travel here from areas outside the two coastal counties, Chang said. Of those, almost 93 percent drive, and the majority of the remainder fly.

But because nearly 82 percent of those who do fly use Mobile Regional Airport instead of Pensacola, they book rooms in downtown or west Mobile.

The findings are based on the responses of 857 passengers who passed through the Alabama Cruise Terminal between June 2, 2008 and April 25, 2009. Chang said only one in four of those randomly surveyed planned to stay in a hotel on this side of the bay.

Right now, Carnival’s capacity out of Mobile is 1,452 passengers, but that will increase to 2,056 when Fantasy replaces the aging Holiday. The company expects to serve 170,000 passengers each year after the switch is made this fall.

Chang expects tourism to increase here when that happens. He said, “More people will stay in Baldwin County across the bay. More passengers may hear about Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and stay there.”

Hotel capacity is increasing in South Baldwin and on the Eastern Shore, Chang added, saying it opens the door for new opportunity.

“We’re very excited they’re starting this campaign because it’s going to help everybody,” said Darrelyn Bender, president of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce. “We have a very symbiotic relationship. We’re looking at ways to put information into the hands of cruise tourists.”

The Eastern Shore may be at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting tourism, though. Both the Mobile CVB and a similar organization on Pleasure Island are partially funded by a lodging tax, enabling them the means to afford large-scale promotional campaigns.

Bender said the Eastern Shore Tourism Council has Carnival on their radar nonetheless, and city officials as well as the hotel, restaurant and retail sectors are partnering to help passengers make the decision to include Baldwin County in their plans.

Among the works in progress is a Web-based planning tool that will enable tourists to make the most of their time here. She added, “When we entice people to visit (Baldwin County), we’re hoping they will also visit Mobile because there are so many attractions there.”

Bender listed ecotourism as a big draw these days, along with sports tournaments. She said, “There’s lots of money in that, and lots of rooms can be filled with that.”

Although direct spending by tourists is an important part of the equation, Chang said a much larger amount of collateral capital is pumped into the economy by the Holiday.

According to the USA report, 94.4 percent of the crew disembarks in Mobile, and they spend on average $5.2 million locally each year. Parking fees bring in a staggering $1.9 million annually, and dockage fees, wharfage fees, facility cleanup and water purchases total more than $1.2 million.

The local economy could also see an additional $10.2 million every year, if Carnival continues using local shipyards for routine maintenance and overhauls, as well as total refits.

Rein said the redesigned Fantasy includes a number of luxury features, including an Internet café, a water park for kids and adults, a new resort-style pool, the Serenity all-adults area, a miniature golf course, an expanded main showroom, casual and fine dining opportunities, free room service, a 24-hour pizzeria, a seven-story atrium, a disco, a piano bar and a photo gallery.

Jones is hoping Carnival will dock a second cruise ship here within five years.