Destination Capitol Hill by John Dersham

I spent last week with tourism executives from all around the country who come to Washington D.C. every spring to bring forth the legislative issues that are of interest to our industry. Last week I, along with Alabama tourism partners, visited with all of our US House of Representatives and senators that represent our state at the federal level. These visits help our elected officials understand our issues and why we’d like them to support our legislative issues.
This has become an easy task in hard economic times due to the fact tourism has shown growth even in the worst of economic times. Due to our success there has been a lot more emphasis at the state and federal level, in support of our industry. Our issues are very small in comparison to some of the issues like gun control, immigration, North Korea and the budget that were all being discussed and argued about all week. I think our representatives considered our issues easy and refreshing when compared with everything else. We are the positive news in a rough time.
Our visit to Washington was on behalf of the Southeast Tourism Society and the National Travel Association. I am part of this as a representative of the Policy Council at Southeast Tourism Society and Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. I am honored to play a role in helping Fort Payne and DeKalb County grow via economic development that comes through positive growth oriented legislation. Tourism is our nation’s third largest growth industry, behind two medical services industries. Last year international travel to the US grew by $600 billion and now accounts for $2 Trillion in economic output in the United States.  Tourism in the United States employees 14.6 million people. This growth is aided by the completion of one full year of an international marketing campaign advertising International travel in the USA by Brand USA. People in 18 countries see TV, web and print ads generated under the new international advertising plan. It is the first such international adverting program for tourism since the early 90’s. International travelers come with lots of money and lots of time. They bring us large amounts of tax revenues into our cities and towns. Our National Park system, a favorite among international travelers serves as a gateway to smaller markets. This is true of our area. Little River Canyon is getting international Visitors and in turn our local economy gets lodging, retail and restaurant sales, attractions and museums are visited and our entire community benefits from the increased tax revenues. We are fortunate locally that we are a destination that both domestic and international visitors enjoy.

Finally It's Spring by John Dersham

Yes, we had a mild winter but what happened in March? In looking at pictures I took last March 15^th our Cherry trees were almost done blooming. This year mine are just working toward full bloom.  Last year was an unusually warm early spring and this year is later than normal…but I do believe that beloved spring has finally arrived. It is time to pull off the long sleeves and get out there in the wonderful warm air and enjoy yourself in our little niche of paradise here in northeast Alabama. We are so fortunate to have the influence of the Appalachian Mountain chain that with it comes a diverse culture of beautiful spring blooming trees and shrubs, that are native to our area like Dogwood Black Cherry, Silverberry, Rhododendron , Mountain Laurel, wild Azalea and too many more to name. Sometimes we take these things for granted but if you go much further south or west you will not find these beautiful plants as natives.

My suggestion is enjoy our gifts and take a Daycation or two here in DeKalb County. Our scenic drives are everywhere and our parks and public attractions are scattered all over the county. How about a picnic at DeSoto State Park? You can play on the playground, hike the trails and look at the wonderful 104 foot waterfall. How about a little fishing and picnicking or camping at DeKalb County Lake in Sylvania, or a trip to Bucks Pocket or High Falls parks? There is the beautiful canyon rim drive and picnic and hiking at Little River Canyon N.P. If you like beautiful scenery combined with a breathtaking cave experience then you need a trip to Sequoyah Caverns. It is a great time to go to Collinsville Trade Day each Saturday, or go on a flea market excursion on Sand Mountain. All of our towns and cities have great locally owned second hand stores. It is fun to spend a day just milling around through these shops. You can visit antique stores like the S House Antiques, The Strand, Goosie’s, Myrtle Jane’s, The Classy Flea, Vintage Green and The Old Big Mill in Fort Payne.

Don’t let spring pass you by without getting out an enjoying the very county you live in. You will not find prettier scenery anywhere you choose to travel than right here at home.

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING OUR COUNTY EVEN MORE LOVELY BY GETTING OUT AND PICKING UP THE LITTER ALONG YOUR OWN ROAD FRONTAGE AND BETTER YET TAKE A LITTLE HIKE AND PICK UP LITTER ALONG YOUR ENTIRE STREET OR ROAD.

For more information about things to do and places to go in our own back yard, please contact us at DeKalb Tourism at 256-845-3957 or visit our website at www.tourdekalb.com

Promoting Fort Payne and DeKalb County by John Dersham

One of the most effective ways we promote and at a relatively low cost are press releases. DeKalb Tourism sends out press releases for all the major events in DeKalb County that will attract out of town visitors, especially if it is an event or attraction that is likely to keep our guests here overnight or better yet for several days. During the course of the year we will send out press releases for festivals, like Boom Days, Colorfest, Rhododendron festival, Sand Mountain Potato festival, Ider Mule Day, Collinsville Turkey Trot and Fyffe UFO Days. We also send out generic press releases to promote attractions, lodging, restaurants, parks & recreation, and museums, etc. We have a press release going out next week that will promote this area as a great place to come for spring break. Here is an excerpt from that press release.

“For the more adventure-seekers, visitors can explore the underground world at Sequoyah Caverns or take in miles of hiking and biking trails, sheer rock cliffs, kayak a raging river and fish from several streams and lakes available at Little River Falls, DeSoto State Park, High Falls Park, Buck’s Pocket State Park, and Little River Canyon National Preserve. Local outfitters can provide all the necessary equipment and knowledge for a truly adventurous spring break trip.

Situated atop Lookout Mountain among the many scenic waterfalls and majestic overlooks are a variety of accommodations from charming bed and breakfasts to rustic cabins. The Mountain Laurel Inn Bed and Breakfast offers a wonderful retreat from the hectic pace of everyday life. The March Madness package is available at $258 and includes two nights, morning coffee delivered to the room, full breakfast, a keepsake ornament, bottled water and snacks for two people. The historic village of Mentone is home to the oldest operating hotel in the state – the Mentone Springs Hotel. Listed in the New York Times bestselling book “100 Places to See before You Die” and on the National Register of Historic Places, it is known as the Grande Dame of Lookout Mountain.”

It is our job as a Destination Marketing Organization to entice people who do not live here to come visit us on their vacations, weekends or school breaks. We advertise with language that is inviting to the potential visitor. Text about our scenic mountains and valleys with waterfalls, state parks and a national preserve, along with  great lodging in hotels, B&B’s, campgrounds and rental cabins in the woods all give our potential visitor the urge to visit. We have to sell the things we are best at and those things are a low cost place to visit with friendly helpful people, low traffic, great scenic drives, a very relaxed environment with lots of places to eat, shop, hike and sight see. We promote our towns and villages and we promote our rich history.

In order of doing this the most effective way possible we use a professional press release writing and distribution company. The company we use is Beasley Marketing Company, it is owned by Karen Beasley in Huntsville. She understands the press release format and keeps updated distribution files. We can ask her to send the release to all newspapers, Blogs, magazines, and TV and radio stations in North Alabama or to the entire state. We can add parts, or all, of Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana or any other state we want to target. These press releases almost always are picked up by multiple newspapers and we often get requests for TV appearances to discuss.

For more information about our press releases contact DeKalb Tourism at 256-845-3957.

Winter Travel Shows by John Dersham

I have just completed this year’s round of winter travel shows to promote tourism in DeKalb County. These shows are a fairly inexpensive way to talk to a lot of people in person about our area and basically try and sell them on planning their vacation to our area. This is done via conversation, travel guides, websites, social media and pictures. The primary objective is to educate our guests about us, i.e., what to see, where to go, how far away we are, how much it cost to visit our area. They want to know about lodging, attractions, food, entertainment, etc. Usually a discussion with visitors to our booth will last five to fifteen minutes based on the verbal level of detail they would like to talk about. We equip each guest with a bag of travel info from our area. This year I worked at the Columbus, Ohio AAA Great Vacations Expo, the Indianapolis Travel, Boat, and RV, fishing and Motorcycle Show and the Greenville, SC Southern Travel Show. We are represented by Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association and the State of Alabama Department of Travel and Tourism and other shows too, including; Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, KY. In the spring I will attend the Southern Women’s show in Nashville and others will attend the Memphis and Chattanooga Shows and they will help represent our area. These travel expos are a very personal way to connect to our potential visitor and it gives us a chance to invite them to come see us in person.  Many of these shows are a winter attraction in themselves. People come to these shows for entertainment on a cold winter weekend. Many of these expos have stars performing or appearing for autographs. There are lectures and give a ways. There is food and beverage and lots to see. Travel organizations from around the world attend many of these shows. It is also a place to look at and buy an RV, boat, motorcycle or camping and fishing equipment.

We have continued to grow tourism in DeKalb even in an economy that is not that strong. I feel these shows are just another way we get our name and location out to the public. Many of these travel shows have existed since the early 50’s and have become an annual event for residents in their locations.

The Progress of Humanity by John Dersham

Yes, when you listen to the news of which there is plenty, especially with 24 hour news stations, all the news or most seems bad. Kidnappings, murders, hate crimes, robberies, war, greed, corruption, etc. It is my opinion that despite the bombardment of bad news that our world is getting better and better all the time. If you look back at our history we were quite barbaric people from our beginning. Technology, which I feel is also in perpetual improvement, is allowing us a voice we never had. Even in depressed dictator countries the voice of the people can no longer be silenced, thanks to smart phone technology, social media and the internet. No longer can people be isolated from the truth. I think this is why the time is coming when there will be no dictators. To be a dictator you must silence your people and this is no longer possible. Bad news aside let’s talk about how wonderful we are. When someone is in trouble we come to the rescue. When storms hit we come to help in masses. We provide physical labor and great amounts of financial support. We all remember April 27, 2011. Look how we came together to help. All around the world there have been disasters of the same magnitude and we the people have been there for those adversely affected. As we are able to communicate with everyone around the world, as we do via technology we find the vast majority of people all around the world are exactly like us. They want peace, they want to help their neighbors, they love their families and when we communicate with them they become our friends. No longer do we look at people we don’t know as the enemy. We, through growing and improving worldwide technology, are becoming friends. I feel step by step, year by year from the beginning of mankind we are inching our way to becoming that which God created us to be and that is the beautiful wonder individual God created in each of us. Yes, it is a journey and we have a long way to go but I am convinced the journey is always in the right direction despite the bad news along the way. It was not very long ago our leaders could be corrupt and the public never knew it. Now if you break the law or break the accepted morale code you will get caught and it will be publicized. Gradually we are figuring out what God put inside us to begin with and that is love, kindness and caring for fellow mankind and for all of Gods other creations. However you feel about Heaven or Hell or God and the Devil or if you don’t believe in either, there is Free Will. Free Will given to us by the creator lets us decide our choices, right or wrong, kind or hateful, greedy or sharing, egotistical or modest, war or peace, love or hate. These are our decisions everyday and have been from our beginning and now through our several thousand year journey we are gradually a fraction at a time learning our way.