Press Room

"DESTINATION CITY" PLAN POSITIONS HUNTSVILLE TO CASH IN

Nearly two years in the making, the Destination City Strategic Plan is poised to make Huntsville a two to three night destination for visitors. This plan was developed by a committee within The Chairman’s Roundtable, a group of attraction board chairmen the Huntsville CVB brought together to foster better communication and to address issues facing the hospitality community.

The goal of the Destination City Strategic Plan is “to position and market the Huntsville area as a Destination City, offering two to three days of distinctive tourism opportunities that feature the community’s unique environment, history, culture and technology.”

Numerous city and county officials and community leaders were asked to share what they felt were Huntsville’s strengths and obstacles in becoming a tourist destination, their opinions regarding current marketing efforts, and what key tourism initiatives they would like to see happen in the next five years and in the next 20 years. Additional data was also obtained from existing research reports.

The committee identified four crucial areas that must be addressed in order for Huntsville to become a "destination city:" A focus on enhancing the quality of life for local citizens by highlighting the unique character of the community; a focus on further development of downtown to serve as the cultural, recreational and social center of the city; a focus on partnerships between local entities and then marketing jointly to make money go further; and a focus on increasing the tourism marketing budget by pursuing additional funding sources.

Members of the Destination City Committee are Bob Stagg, Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Wes Clayton, Burritt on the Mountain; Shirley Hale, Huntsville Botanical Garden; Jeff Irons, Sci-Quest; Jim Keller, U.S. Space & Rocket Center; Evans Quinlivan, EarlyWorks; Judy Ryals, Huntsville CVB; and Carol Madry, Committee Facilitator.

Copies of the plan may be obtained by contacting the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Media Contact for all stories: Judy Ryals at 256-551-2230

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