'06 tourism ignites; expect more in '07

Sunday, May 13, 2007

By MARIAN ACCARDI

Times Business Writer marian.accardi@htimes.com

Spending up 13% over 2005; special events set for this year

More than 2.5 million tourists and other visitors came to Madison County last year, handing the travel industry here another record.

And travel-related spending reached more than $779 million for 2006, up 13 percent compared with 2005 spending.

"It's exciting to see continued growth and the potential for future growth," said Judy Ryals, the president and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "I believe next year will be a banner year."

"Reaching more than three-quarters of a billion dollars (in travel spending) is a huge milestone for us," said Charles Winters, vice president of marketing for the bureau.

The new figures for Madison County show a 10 percent increase in the number of visitors and a 38 percent growth in travel spending since 2003. The estimates are included in an economic impact study by Auburn University Montgomery's Center for Business and Economic Development for the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.

The diverse, ever-changing tourism "product" here and expansions and additions of existing attractions make selling the community to tourists and meeting planners easier, Ryals said.

For instance, the nation's largest seasonal butterfly house and children's garden opened last summer at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, which was named Alabama's 2006 Tourist Attraction of the Year.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of U.S. Space Camp at the Space & Rocket Center, and the inaugural Space Camp Hall of Fame induction banquet will be in June. Actor William Shatner is scheduled to be master of ceremonies.

Ryals believes Space Camp events will mean even greater numbers of summer travelers here.

O&S Holdings LLC, the developer of the 2-million-square-foot Bridge Street Town Centre in Cummings Research Park, is planning a late September grand opening for that project's shops, restaurants and 14-screen Monaco Pictures cinema. Then in December, the 210-room Westin, the state's first Westin, is scheduled to open in Bridge Street.

That hotel, along with the Embassy Suites - Huntsville's second downtown hotel which opened late last year - and other new hotels being built across the city are expected to help attract more and larger meetings and conventions. The growth of other amenities that travelers want - such as restaurants, even spas - also help boost tourism numbers, Ryals said.

The latest tourism figures showed that there were an estimated 8,843 travel-related jobs last year in Madison County. Total direct and indirect travel-related employment was more than 13,000, according to the report.

It is estimated that more than 22.3 million people visited the state of Alabama in 2006, an increase from 21.8 million in 2005. Baldwin County led the state with about 4.7 million visitors in 2006.

Travelers spent an estimated $8.3 billion in Alabama in 2006, an increase of 10 percent over 2005 spending.

Travel industry spending represented 5 percent of Alabama's gross domestic product - overall production - in 2006.

An estimated 162,688 jobs - 8.2 percent of non-agricultural employment in Alabama - were directly or indirectly attributable to the travel and tourism industry.



'06 tourism ignites; expect more in '07 Sunday, May 13, 2007 By MARIAN ACCARDI Times Business Writer marian.accardi@htimes.com Spending up 13% over 2005; special events set for this year More than 2.5 million tourists and other visitors came to Madison County last year, handing the travel industry here another record. And travel-related spending reached more than $779 million for 2006, up 13 percent compared with 2005 spending. "It's exciting to see continued growth and the potential for future growth," said Judy Ryals, the president and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "I believe next year will be a banner year." "Reaching more than three-quarters of a billion dollars (in travel spending) is a huge milestone for us," said Charles Winters, vice president of marketing for the bureau. The new figures for Madison County show a 10 percent increase in the number of visitors and a 38 percent growth in travel spending since 2003. The estimates are included in an economic impact study by Auburn University Montgomery's Center for Business and Economic Development for the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. The diverse, ever-changing tourism "product" here and expansions and additions of existing attractions make selling the community to tourists and meeting planners easier, Ryals said. For instance, the nation's largest seasonal butterfly house and children's garden opened last summer at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, which was named Alabama's 2006 Tourist Attraction of the Year. This year marks the 25th anniversary of U.S. Space Camp at the Space & Rocket Center, and the inaugural Space Camp Hall of Fame induction banquet will be in June. Actor William Shatner is scheduled to be master of ceremonies. Ryals believes Space Camp events will mean even greater numbers of summer travelers here. O&S Holdings LLC, the developer of the 2-million-square-foot Bridge Street Town Centre in Cummings Research Park, is planning a late September grand opening for that project's shops, restaurants and 14-screen Monaco Pictures cinema. Then in December, the 210-room Westin, the state's first Westin, is scheduled to open in Bridge Street. That hotel, along with the Embassy Suites - Huntsville's second downtown hotel which opened late last year - and other new hotels being built across the city are expected to help attract more and larger meetings and conventions. The growth of other amenities that travelers want - such as restaurants, even spas - also help boost tourism numbers, Ryals said. The latest tourism figures showed that there were an estimated 8,843 travel-related jobs last year in Madison County. Total direct and indirect travel-related employment was more than 13,000, according to the report. It is estimated that more than 22.3 million people visited the state of Alabama in 2006, an increase from 21.8 million in 2005. Baldwin County led the state with about 4.7 million visitors in 2006. Travelers spent an estimated $8.3 billion in Alabama in 2006, an increase of 10 percent over 2005 spending. Travel industry spending represented 5 percent of Alabama's gross domestic product - overall production - in 2006. An estimated 162,688 jobs - 8.2 percent of non-agricultural employment in Alabama - were directly or indirectly attributable to the travel and tourism industry. © 2007 The Huntsville Times © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.