CVB celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week
Campaign runs May 7-13, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2017
(Huntsville, AL) – National Travel and Tourism Week is being recognized this year, May 7-13, 2017, and the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is celebrating by hosting their annual Tourism Summit, in addition to other special activities. National Travel and Tourism Week is a national, week-long campaign administered by the U.S. Travel Association that highlights the importance of the travel industry to the country’s economy.
The CVB has good reason to celebrate, since 2016 saw the economic impact of travel and tourism to Madison County reaching its highest levels ever, providing over 15,400 jobs and an economic impact of nearly $1.2 billion in Madison County alone. Those figures, as reported by the Alabama Tourism Department, represent a 4.9% increase in traveler spending on hotels, restaurants, shopping and transportation.
The campaign follows Huntsville’s hosting of the TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) conference, the world’s largest convention for travel bloggers and other travel media professionals. Hosting the conference put the Rocket City in the international spotlight as a top meeting and visitor destination.
In celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week, the CVB will host its annual Tourism Summit later in the month. Additionally, the CVB hopes locals and visitors will continue to familiarize themselves with the unique stories of Huntsville through the recently unveiled You Are Here project. The You Are Here project takes a playful approach to using placemaking signage to highlight 16 locations throughout Huntsville that all possess an intriguing fact about their creation or connection to the community.
Visitors are also invited to stop by the Huntsville/Madison County Visitor Center® throughout the week to enjoy free popcorn.
“Travel and tourism to Madison County is big business,” CVB President/CEO Judy Ryals said. “It directly impacts the pocketbooks of local residents, and we’re excited to celebrate its impact during National Travel and Tourism Week through our new You Are Here project, the Tourism Summit and free popcorn in the Visitor Center.”
2017 Tourism Summit
May 24, 2017
Von Braun Center
Each year, the Huntsville/Madison County CVB joins forces with the local hospitality industry to host the Tourism Summit, a state of the industry update and professional development seminar for hotel, restaurant, attraction and quality of life influencers in Huntsville/Madison County.
This year’s Tourism Summit theme is “Celebrating the Faces of Travel.” Motivational speaker Steve Rizzo will present the keynote address, “Get Your Shift Together” at 11:30 a.m. in the Von Braun Center’s South Hall.
Free popcorn at the Huntsville/Madison County Visitor Center®
The public is encouraged to stop by the Huntsville/Madison County Visitor Center® in downtown Huntsville through Friday, May 12, at 5 p.m. for a free bag of popcorn to join CVB staff in celebrating the local importance of travel and tourism.
People can also participate in National Travel and Tourism Week through social media. Those who post a photo with one of the 16 You Are Here signs will be entered to win a special Huntsville prize. Entries will be accepted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and should use both the hashtags #nttw17 and #iHeartHsv. One winner will be chosen per day through May 13.
For more information, contact Kristen Pepper, Huntsville/Madison County CVB Marketing Manager at 256.551.2294 or kristen@huntsville.org.
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About Huntsville/Madison County CVB
The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization which was developed in 1970 to create economic growth for Huntsville/Madison County by marketing the community as a top-of-mind convention and visitor destination. As the official city/county agency which promotes the area as a tourist destination and convention site, the CVB works with an array of hospitality industry partners to market our destination to visitors of all types.
