Chamber speaker highlights tourism, room for growth in county
Tourism in the state of Alabama is on the rise, and according to Alabama Tourism Deputy Director Grey Brennan, “Shelby County is doing a wonderful job.”
The annual state lodging tax is up 9.4 percent in Shelby County, compared to 7.1 percent for the state, and direct travel-related employment is up more than 5 percent in Shelby County, compared to the state average of 4 percent, Brennan told attendees of the June 27 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon, complimenting the county on how the dollars can affect the county and “multiply” in the county.
The June luncheon was hosted by the chamber’s tourism and recreation work group, and Brennan was invited to discuss tourism and its impact throughout the state and county. He highlighted the county’s many attractions, including Oak Mountain State Park, multiple golf courses, museums and wineries.
“I think you could really say that Shelby County is kind of the heart of Alabama’s wine country. … That is a very good, feel good tourism entity for your area,” he said.
Other parts of the county are great for providing a unique experience to visitors, Brennan said, including the train rides in Calera. While trains were once a practical mode of transportation, now they’re a novelty.
“Now, that’s an experience, and tourism is all about experience and unique experiences that you can have,” Brennan said.
Even with those attractions available, however, there’s a chance to improve tourism within the county. As part of his presentation, Brennan gave a few suggestions for how to increase tourism, including taking advantage of the fact that most people have smartphones and will use those to photograph the locations they are visiting.
“Social media marketing is a fantastic way to get your message out, and you should be keying some way to try and do that,” Brennan said, highlighting the importance of user-generated content.
Steps as simple as putting up a sign pointing out a “great photo spot” can encourage people to take photos and post them to social media, which in turn, is free marketing for the location, Brennan said.
Smartphones are also used as a way to research and book tours, so making sure that the proper online channels are set up can ensure you don’t miss out on a potential visitor, Brennan said.
“The key is making it easy for someone to buy your ticket,” Brennan said.
Other changes, such as taking advantage of resources provided by the state through the visitors centers at the state line, the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and the “Tourism Tuesday” e-newsletter, can also promote the county and its many attractions.
“What I like to say in our office is we can’t do everything for everyone, but there is something we can do for everyone. … We want to highlight everyone in the state of Alabama,” Brennan said.
Also at the luncheon, Chamber President and CEO Kirk Mancer announced that Lisa Shapiro, director of communications and marketing for the chamber, had tendered her resignation and her last day with the chamber would be July 4.