Alabama Tourism Department’s 2019 Spring Tourism Workshop

Statewide walking tours begin Saturday

100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama brochure being updated

Heart of Dixie? Alabama presenting diversity in bicentennial

OWA announces $100 million plus expansion plans for Phase II

Marriott names Mobile’s Riverview hotel of the year

Birmingham brothers behind ‘I Can Only Imagine’ announce new Christian movie studio

AC Hotel by Marriott in downtown Huntsville now open

Work to restore A.G. Gaston Motel begins

Regions Field named among best ballparks in nation

The oldest tourist attraction in every state

PARCA group exploring tourism unity, not consolidation

Alabama State Parks offer springtime activities on a budget

“Partner Pointer” for the tourism industry website

The Alabama Tourism Department’s popular “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama” brochure is in the process of being updated. If you know of a locally owned restaurant in the state that you think needs to be included, please let us know. The restaurant must have been opened for at least five years or have been started by one of Alabama’s top chefs or restaurateurs to be featured. Give us the name of the restaurant, the town where it is located and what you consider to be its signature dish. Send your suggestions to Tommy.Cauthen@tourism.alabama.gov by April 12.

Heart of Dixie? Alabama presenting diversity in bicentennial
From the article by Jay Reeves on APNews.com:

In 1961, Alabama marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War with white women dressed in hoop skirts parading through a coliseum and a re-enactment of the inauguration of the Confederate president at the state Capitol.

The state’s 2019 bicentennial celebration is very different, with a frank discussion of the horrors of slavery sharing space on a schedule with a Civil War re-enactment promoted by a Confederate heritage group and scores of other events, many focused on civil rights.

The departure from years past is intentional, officials who helped plan the program say.

Although Alabama license plates still carry the words “Heart of Dixie” and the state even today has three holidays linked to the Confederacy, organizers say they wanted to present a balanced view of history for the bicentennial.

“The idea was that we want to celebrate the scope and range of Alabama history,” said Ed Bridges, who directed the Alabama Department of Archives and History for more than three decades and now chairs an advisory committee overseeing the bicentennial. “The really big idea is to find ways to make Alabama better as we enter our third century.”

Unlike other states that have marked bicentennials with yearlong programs or single events, Alabama planners laid out a schedule of nearly three years’ worth of events culminating with a ceremony in Montgomery on Dec. 14, which will mark the 200th anniversary of the state’s admission to the United States in 1819. As part of the program, more than 1,200 educators are getting new materials and supplemental training for state history lessons.

Bertis English, who teaches history at historically black Alabama State University and participated in some of the early planning, said the expanded schedule allowed more time to include diverse perspectives on the state’s past.

“I am seeing a much more inclusive body of participants and events than I probably would have seen two or three decades ago,” English said.

The result is a statewide program that includes everything from the state’s pre-Colonial history to its role in developing the first moon rockets. Country music legend Hank Williams is being recognized; so is R&B singer Wilson Pickett.

Alabama, like other one-time Confederate states that have celebrated bicentennials, included its years outside the United States in calculating when to mark its 200th birthday. Neighboring Mississippi staged events in 2017 that included opening a civil rights museum in Jackson. Tennessee’s bicentennial included the opening of a Civil War heritage trail in 1996, and Louisiana’s 2012 bicentennial featured traveling exhibits and school educational programs.

So far, Alabama is getting generally positive marks for its bicentennial, which is operating on about $10.5 million in government funding over three years and has raised another $3 million in private funds, Alabama Bicentennial Commission Director Jay Lamar said.

Doris Cooper Anthony, 71, of Montgomery attended a bicentennial program that coincided with Black History Month about the legacy of slavery at Alabama State in Montgomery and was pleased to see the state’s warts being presented along with more positive aspects.

“It’s not history unless you tell the whole thing. History has been fragmented selectively to paint a picture that is delusional really,” said Anthony, who is black.

Marvin Dulaney, a retired University of Texas historian who spoke at the event, said it’s vital for any Southern state to present its full history, including the antebellum period, the Civil War and beyond.

“That Confederacy period is still part of that history. Criticize it and indeed tell the truth about it, that it’s about slavery and not state’s rights and so on,” he said.

The model for the bicentennial program was based in large part on a series of events nearly a decade ago marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the bicentennial of a bloody dispute called the Creek War and the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement, Bridges said.

Rather than simply highlighting battles or civil rights demonstrations, he said, organizers back then said, “Let’s look at this as a process of how we became who we were.”

“That was a testing ground for what we are doing now,” he said.

For the complete article please see https://www.apnews.com/ee77a2a1a74b4946b8c60ce0d12260af

OWA announces $100 million plus expansion plans for Phase II
OWA, the Gulf Coast’s largest entertainment destination, is continuing to expand with the announcement of a $100 million investment for Phase II. Construction is slated to begin summer 2019 and will include the Gulf Coast’s largest indoor waterpark, an accompanying 200-room resort hotel with conference space, and a luxury, family-friendly RV Park.

Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority (CIEDA), the economic development arm of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, has continually invested in OWA over the last three years. With the addition of Phase II, CIEDA’s investments will exceed $350 million plus towards advancing OWA’s presence as a year-round Alabama resort destination.

“Being a substantial economic driver for the State of Alabama, we have continually invested into OWA’s diverse entertainment offerings in an effort to provide visitors and residents with a one-of-a-kind resort experience,” said Cody Williamson, President/CEO of CIEDA.

Keeping in line with OWA’s theme of “big water,” which is derived from the Muscogee Creek language, the decision was easily made to add the Gulf Coast’s largest indoor waterpark to the next phase. Selecting this newest amenity will allow the beach experience to be available throughout the year.

“We chose to start the next phase with a large indoor waterpark because it allows our guests a year-round opportunity to play in the water,” said Kristin Hellmich, OWA’s Director of Marketing/PR. “whether it’s cooling off their summer sun burns or escaping cold temperatures, this exciting new amenity will provide never-ending thrills.”

Construction will begin this summer for all additions in Phase II. Tentative completion dates currently target the end of 2019 for the RV park opening, with an early 2021 opening for the hotel and indoor water park.

Marriott names Mobile’s Riverview hotel of the year
When Marriott International reviewed guest satisfaction surveys, employee opinions, financial records, market share, event satisfaction and overall property performance for its hotels in 2018, a local hotel rose to the top of the list. Renaissance Riverview Plaza earned the 2018 Marriott Franchise Hotel of the Year for the Distinctive Premium Hotels in North America. The Distinctive Premium category Renaissance Riverview won has 364 hotels in the following brands:  Autograph, Renaissance, Gaylord Hotels, Westin, Le Meridien and Tribute Portfolio. The honor was announced earlier this week by Marriott International.

“This is a great recognition for our hotel, our associates, owners (Retirement Systems of Alabama) and the City of Mobile,” said Kent Blackinton, general manager of the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel. “With a hotel full of associates providing exceptional Southern Hospitality and utilizing Marriott’s best practices, we are able to compete with top Renaissance properties around the world. The decision for guests to return to Mobile and the Renaissance Riverview Plaza has become much easier. We salute Marriott plus our ownership, leadership and associates for raising the expectations and helping shift experiences from great to exceptional,” said Blackinton.

“In an effort to promote the hotel to both group and leisure guests, our hotel worked closely with leadership from Visit Mobile, the Mobile Chamber of Commerce, Mobile Downtown Alliance and other organizations,” said Blackinton. “Once people came and experienced America’s original Mardi Gras (the parades pass in front of our doors) or taste fresh Gulf seafood prepared by our chefs, they get hooked on Mobile.”

The Hotel of the Year designation evaluates all aspects of each property: guest satisfaction, financial, community involvement, employee opinions, event satisfaction and market share. In other distinctions, Renaissance Riverview Plaza has maintained its AAA Four Diamond status since 2011.

Birmingham brothers behind ‘I Can Only Imagine’ announce new Christian movie studio
From the article by Greg Garrison on AL.com:

The Birmingham-based Erwin brothers, Jon and Andy, who made the hit Christian film “I Can Only Imagine,” have announced a new faith-based movie studio.

The Erwin Brothers’ 2018 biographical picture about Bart Millard of Mercy Me, the writer of the song, “I Can Only Imagine,” had a total U.S. box office of $83.4 million on a production budget of only $7 million. It’s the fourth-highest grossing music biography of all-time and the sixth-highest grossing Christian movie in history, according to boxofficemojo.com.

The Erwins announced they are leveraging their success from that movie to form a new studio, to be called Kingdom Studios, which will team with Lionsgate for distribution. They made the announcement this week in Anaheim, California, during the National Religious Broadcasters’ Convention.

“We’re here to dream,” Jon Erwin said. “We’ve been dreaming of this for a long time.”

The new studio currently has four projects in various stages of planning and production.

The new movies they have planned are: “I Still Believe,” about Christian singer Jeremy Camp, whose wife, Melissa died of ovarian cancer less than a year after they married; “Jesus Revolution,” a project the Erwins started several years ago about the hippie evangelical culture that came out of Southern California in the 1970s; “Apostles: Resurrection of Christ,” a trilogy of films based on the New Testament, and “The Drummer Boy,” a faith-based musical.

“We started asking, ‘What can we do together that none of us can do alone?” Jon Erwin said to an audience at the NRB. “Is there a way, instead of being soloists, that we can become a symphony?”

That led to focusing on creating movie studio, he said.

“The more we asked it, the more the question became a dream, and the more we asked it, the more we went out and recruited some talent and some people we were dying to work with, the more that dream became a reality — we could see it and taste it,” Jon said. “That’s why today, we’re here to launch that dream. We’re not here to launch a movie. We’re here to launch a movie studio.”

The studio will release two films a year, with a goal of providing entertaining and safe Christian entertainment.

“We don’t want to build our own name, we want to build the Kingdom,” Jon Erwin said. “We want to tell stories that strategically brought people to the Gospel.”

He hopes the Kingdom Studios will develop into a trusted brand.

“If this logo is on it, you can trust it,” Jon Erwin said.

The movie about Jeremy Camp fits into a similar category as the Erwins’ biggest hit, “It Can Only Imagine,” focusing on an inspirational story tied to a Christian musician.

“It captured our heart,” Andy Erwin said. “It’s a story of love, of hope, of courage, and so we’re in pre-production of that story.”

The Erwin Brothers’ other successful films include “Woodlawn,” a faith-based sports drama that grossed $14.3 million and ranks No. 25 all-time among Christian movies; and the 2014 comedy “Mom’s Night Out,” which made $10.4 million at the box office and ranks No. 32 among Christian movies.

For the complete article please see https://www.al.com/life/2019/03/birmingham-brothers-behind-i-can-only-imagine-announce-new-christian-movie-studio.html

AC Hotel by Marriott in downtown Huntsville now open
From the article by Paul Gattis on AL.com:

The first piece of the CityCentre development in downtown Huntsville is now open for business.

The AC Hotel by Marriott – the first in Alabama – announced Tuesday that it was now welcoming guests at its location at Williams Avenue and Monroe Street.

The hotel has 120 rooms over six levels and has blended itself into the Rocket City by adopting some historic neighborhood names. The facility’s three meeting rooms are named for former Huntsville mills: Lincoln, Lowe and Merrimack.

Together the three rooms have been tabbed The Gallery at Big Spring Park – an event space for more than 200 guests that overlooks the downtown park by the same name and, according to the hotel, is “perfect for wedding receptions.”

Later this year, the hotel will open The Veranda – the second-floor terrace bar overlooking the park and adjacent to the event space.

Developed by Doradus Partners in partnership with RCP Companies, the hotel was the 10th signed U.S. location for AC Hotels, a global joint venture with Spanish hotelier Antonio Catalan.

“We are delighted to introduce the AC Hotels brand to the Rocket City,” Srinath Yedla, President and CEO of Yedla Management Company, which will manage the property, said in the announcement. “AC Hotel Huntsville Downtown remains true to the brand’s philosophy and centers on a frictionless experience for on-the-go guests.”

The AC Hotel is part of a hotel boom ongoing in downtown Huntsville. Three other hotels have been announced in the vicinity of the Von Braun Center but have not yet started construction.

A second hotel is also planned for the CityCentre development, according to Huntsville city officials. That announcement could come later this year.

For the complete article please see https://www.al.com/news/2019/03/ac-hotel-by-marriott-in-downtown-huntsville-now-open.html

Work to restore A.G. Gaston Motel begins
From the article by Anna Beahm on AL.com:

The work of restoring the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham’s Civil Rights Historic District has begun, city officials announced Wednesday.

Crews today began examining the motel to determine what types of restoration and work are needed to preserve the building’s 1960s character.

“I’m very pleased to announce that the restoration of the A.G. Gaston Motel has begun, which will become another jewel of our city and its role in the Civil Rights Movement. The A.G. Gaston Motel is sacred ground,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said during the announcement Wednesday.

In 1963, motel owner A.G. Gaston offered rooms at discounted rates to civil rights movement leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. King stayed in Room 30 in spring 1963. A bomb was detonated below Room 30 in 1963, causing significant damage. The motel closed in the late 1970s.

“I’m proud to be here to be a part of this ongoing effort to make sure that this resource that we’re standing in one day too will become a holy ground where we learn what happened here and what the people here sacrificed,” said National Park Service Historian Barbara Tagger. Tagger serves as the acting superintendent for the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

The restoration
The city of Birmingham allocated $10 million for the motel’s restoration in 2015. Federal funds are not being used for the restoration, city officials said.

The motel will be restored in two phases. The first focuses on the older wing of the motel, which opened in 1954. This wing includes the room where King stayed and the entire motel roof. The first phase of restoration work is to begin in July and be complete by June 2020.

The second phase focuses on the newer portion of the motel, built in 1968, which includes the interior, exterior, courtyard, landscaping, motel restaurant, the A.G. Gaston sign and other remaining areas. The second phase is to begin in July 2020 and be completed by December 2021.

In July, the city will also begin a series of community meetings to determine how to use the building once it’s restored.

President Barack Obama on Jan. 12, 2017 signed a proclamation designating the Birmingham Civil Rights District as a national monument.

The national monument includes portions of the Historic Birmingham Civil Rights District, including the A.G. Gaston Motel, the neighboring Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the 16th Street Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, the Colored Masonic Temple, St. Paul United Methodist Church and portions of the 4th Avenue Business District.

For the complete article please see https://www.al.com/news/2019/03/work-to-restore-ag-gaston-motel-begins.html

Regions Field named among best ballparks in nation
From the article by Stephanie Rebman in the (Birmingham Business Journal) BizJournals.com:

A national sports website has singled out Regions Field as being one of the best destinations in the country.

Stadium Talk, which launched last fall, said the Birmingham park is one of 15 ranked Best Minor League Baseball Ballparks.

Parks from California to New York and everywhere in between were ranked, but the 8,500-capacity field built in 2013 was singled out for its family-friendly nature and nod to the city’s past.

The website said about the field:

“Less than six years old, Region Field is among the newest parks in the minors, but it was designed to reflect the town’s industrial past by incorporating brick and steel into its facade. It also is among the most family-friendly parks in the minors, featuring a Youth Sports Zone housing a mini Wiffle ball field, a family fun park and batting cages.”

The site also put a spotlight on Switchyard on 14th and The Barstream for food and drink offerings at the stadium.

For the complete article please see https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2019/03/27/regions-field-named-among-best-ballparks-in-nation.html?ana=e_me_set1
mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWWpCaU1tRTROR1psTXpOaCIsInQiOiJFYlRwUnlaVE9OMDNlNWtQSGZ3ejFv
SHV2eWViTDNldkMrMEliZ09uN01GZ3JRbHUxVWI1WVJKVk1uZllybWh1OHhGZ2lXZytLVFVpY
2Y4WjFvbFlOb3M3TDR0ZXg3N0RpR0tOanM5SnhoN0ttc2IxazJMT0dZMFIyODBoNjRGNSJ9

The oldest tourist attraction in every state
From the article by Kristine Hansen on (Reader’s Digest) RD.com:

From fortresses to national parks to geological wonders—American history is packed into each U.S. state’s roster of tourist attractions.

Alabama: Fort Morgan
Alabama’s Gulf Coast was the site of much Civil War history, including Fort Morgan in Gulf Shores. The fort took 15 years (from 1819 to 1834) to build and the structure made of finished granite, iron works, sandstone, and cement was revolutionary for its day, replacing the log and sand Fort Bowyer.

For the complete list and article please see https://www.rd.com/advice/travel/oldest-tourist-attraction-every-state/

PARCA group exploring tourism unity, not consolidation
From the article by Russ Corey on TimesDaily.com:

A Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) work group is attempting to create a unified product and brand for the Shoals as a whole that could ultimately benefit tourist attractions in Colbert and Lauderdale counties.

Nancy Sanford, a co-chair of the work group, said “unifying” tourism efforts in the Shoals does not necessarily involve consolidating the two tourism bureaus.

“I think we’re talking about a unifying message,” Sanford said. “Unifying tourism is one of the priorities listed in the study. We get to define what unifying is.”

“Nobody mentioned consolidation at our first meeting,” Sanford said.

The work group held its first meeting earlier this month and will meet again at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 10, at the University of North Alabama’s Connie D. McKinney Department of Human Sciences, Hospitality and Design at 205 S. Seminary St. in Florence.

Sanford said about 35 people attended the first meeting and each participant had a chance to discuss what priorities need to be worked on, whether it’s promoting natural resources, cultural resources, music or historical resources.

“We talked about the idea for developing new kinds of tourism opportunities,” she said. “The highest priority was a unified branding message for the community, for tourism.”

Her co-chair, author and regional planner Alvin Rosenbaum, said the group’s work is not about the two tourism agencies, but about the various products – hotels, attractions, restaurants – that benefit from tourists visiting the area.

It’s also about identifying the tourists who are coming here, where they’re from, where they stay, how long do they stay, what attractions are they visiting, and how much money are they spending.

He also stressed the need for a “brand” for the entire Shoals, something both tourism bureaus can utilize to attract people to the Shoals.

“I tried in the first meeting to get the group to focus on what I call product development,” Rosenbaum said. “Product development in tourism means to create experiences that are memorable.”

While a place like Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a destination in and of itself, Rosenbaum said the Shoals has a “disaggregated,” product, meaning it’s composed of individual attractions, restaurants and hotels, rather than a full service attraction like Disney.

Restaurateur Rick Elliott, owner of the popular downtown Florence restaurants Ricatoni’s Italian Grill and City Hardware, estimates 40 percent of his business is from out of town.

“I would say 40 percent of our business between the two restaurants is outside a 30 mile radius,” Elliott said. “It’s pretty substantial on the weekends.”

Those visitors, he said, are also spending money at other businesses while they’re in town.

“The customer that comes to see me at Ricatoni’s from Iuka (Mississippi) is stopping somewhere to get gas, they’re running into Walgreens to pick up some Band Aids and get a quart of milk, it all starts adding up,” Elliott said. “Those tax dollars stay here.”

Elliott said his percentage of out-of-town customers varies from business to business. In two days, he spoke to two people who came to the Shoals to specifically visit FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals. They also ate at Ricatoni’s.

“I can see the silver lining in what they’re talking about,” Elliott said. “At the the end of the day, it’s the business owners who are doing the heavy lifting. I’m glad they’re looking at ways to help the small business person.”

Most places that have been successful in creating and promoting their brand and experience, Rosenbaum said, did so through the people who provide that experience.

By the third meeting in May, Rosenbaum said the group should be ready to discuss a strategy to improve the local tourism product.

“I think the product that we have is hospitality,” he said. “People are drawn to this area because it’s a friendly, affordable, clean, safety place.

David Black, a Colbert County commissioner and chairman of the Colbert County Tourism Board, said he attended the first work group meeting, but is not involved in the work groups. Black said he told Rosenbaum he was not in favor of combining the two tourism bureaus.

He agreed with Rosenbaum that the name “Muscle Shoals” is more widely known than the other three cities.

Black said he’ll wait and see what the work group comes up with.

“I’m just not sure what the brand would be,” Black said.

For the complete article please see https://www.timesdaily.com/news/parca-group-exploring-tourism-unity-not-consolidation/article_5ed2e36b-a9e7-5df5-b0b9-d174f60f351b.html

Alabama State Parks offer springtime activities on a budget
From the article by Carmen Rodgers on TallasseeTribune.com:

School is out for spring break this week, and if you have not planned a getaway there is still time to hit the open road.

The perfect retreat could be found in an Alabama state park. Almost everyone in the state lives within an hour’s drive of such a park so there’s no need to spend precious time on the road.

Several state parks offer springtime activities for the entire family, from riding mountain bikes and zip lines to riding the waves in the Gulf of Mexico.

Closest to Tallassee is Wind Creek State Park, located seven miles south of Alexander City on the western side of Lake Martin. The state park occupies 1,445 acres and offers boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, hiking and equestrian trails, a large camping area and rental cabins. A grain silo built in 1915 that sits on the edge of the lake is topped by a viewing platform and has a nature center in its base.

The park has equestrian trails totaling over 20 miles and two hiking trails that total more than five miles. The park has nearly 600 camping sites in one of the largest state-owned campgrounds in the United States.

There are six resort parks in the Alabama State Park System, including Lake Guntersville, Cheaha, Gulf, DeSoto, Lakepoint and Joe Wheeler. These parks have pools, full-service restaurants and many unique attractions.

Overnight guests can lounge at the Gulf State Park campground pool and frolic at the adjoining splash pad with a tennis court just a few steps away.

At Cheaha Resort State Park, breathtaking views await throughout the 2,799-acre mountaintop retreat. Cabins, chalets and campgrounds offer overnight accommodations.

Adventures abound at Lake Guntersville State Park with the aptly named Screaming Eagle Aerial Adventures zip line course allowing visitors to view the park as only the eagles could before the construction of this amazing attraction.

At DeSoto State Park, campers can enjoy canoeing or kayaking, go fishing or hiking, biking or rappelling. Exploring nature is easy with more than 25 miles of trails as well as an ADA-accessible boardwalk.

Lakepoint on Lake Eufaula offers more than just great angling. There’s also hiking, swimming, wildlife and bird watching, camping, picnic areas and playgrounds. Lakepoint Resort Lodge and Convention Center offers 101 hotel rooms, 29 cabins and 10 lakefront cottages.

Joe Wheeler State Park is divided by the Tennessee River, which forms the 69,700-acre Wheeler Lake. Bass, bream and catfish are plentiful in the sparkling waters.

Campers can bring a sailboat, a bike or golf clubs.

Several state parks offer plenty of campgrounds, and many offer seminars and craft projects. Guests can learn the basics of backpacking, a new craft, how to build survival tools and how to mine gems, among other subjects.

Several smaller parks offer cabins and campgrounds for outdoors lovers. Explorers can also visit Cathedral Caverns in Woodville, near Scottsboro, or Rickwood Caverns north of Birmingham in Warrior.

Cave tours offer easy walks and amazing views of these underground wonderlands.

Cathedral Caverns is wheelchair-accessible.

State parks are almost wholly supported by those who use them. Between 80 and 90 percent of the system’s funding, and 100 percent of the operating costs, come from user fees, not tax dollars.

For the complete article please see https://m.tallasseetribune.com/2019/03/27/alabama-state-parks-offer-springtime-activities-on-a-budget/

“Partner Pointer” for the tourism industry website
When you’re thinking about adding an event, remember they need to be large, exciting events that people are willing to travel and stay to go. Only add events that will gain the attention of people far and wide.

Not a partner yet? Sign up today. http://partners.alabama.travel/users/register

Tourism Tuesdays is a free electronic newsletter produced by the Alabama Tourism Department. It contains news about the state tourism department and the Alabama tourism industry.

The newsletter can also be accessed online by going to: www.tourism.alabama.gov

To subscribe to the newsletter please contact Dwayne O’Riley at: dwayne.oriley@tourism.alabama.gov

To be removed from opt-in list.