Alabama has three of the most desirable sports destinations in the world. We expect this to grow every year and be a major event that will bring a lot of people to Alabama. The whole goal is to get people to stay longer and spend more money. |
Alabama's outdoor destinations are among the best in the U.S.. Travelers know we have many of the best golf courses in the nation, as well as beautiful gardens and great food. This year, we want to persuade visitors in the Southeast and throughout the nation to experience the adventure and beauty of Outdoor Alabama. |
As long as I've been in the tourism business, 30 years, people who come to the state say one thing a great deal, 'I had no idea Alabama was such a beautiful state,' |
For the most part, these stories are told with brutal honesty and I think tourists from outside the South are impressed and surprised at the candor of these exhibits. |
I attended last year's festival and was blown away. |
In the past few years, we have seen an increase in international tourism to civil rights sites, ... I think Nelson Mandela's comments about the importance of Rosa Parks has helped make civil rights sites here international sites of interest. |
Labor Day weekend is not as important from an economic standpoint as it used to be. |
Not every county has a beach or a Space and Rocket Center or a speedway, ... We're putting a spotlight on these isolated areas of recreation. With outdoor recreation, you have to know where you're going. We are using this to try to connect the dots. |
There is the misperception that all of coastal Alabama suffered the same type of damage that impacted Mississippi, and that's not the case, |
There is the misperception that all of coastal Alabama suffered the same type of damage that impacted Mississippi, and that's not the case. |
This birding tail is one of the reasons the governor and I decided that 2006 would be the year of outdoors Alabama, |
very much the same thing. |
We know a lot of people have put their Labor Day plans on hold. |