Auburn, September 3, 2002 --- Tourism has become big business in many Alabama communities.

Helping communities capitalize on tourism opportunities in their region will be the focus of a workshop, scheduled Sept. 24 at the Alabama Power Company’s Auditorium Water Course, located just off Interstate 65, Exit 205, on Highway 31 near Clanton.

Sponsored by Alabama Sunrise Region, the workshop is designed to help community leaders both recognize and market potential sources of tourism in their region.

"We’re trying to alert our leadership to the value of Alabama tourism: a multibillion-dollar enterprise that comprises the largest industry in our state," says Tom Farrow, Clay County Extension coordinator and one of the organizers of the Alabama Sunrise Region.

The workshop, Farrow says, is designed to educate Alabama community leaders, such as mayors, council members and chamber of commerce professionals, about the various issues related to tourism and developing and managing a tourism marketing strategy.

Currently, he says, many communities lack even a basic infrastructure for building such an effort.

"Some communities have great opportunities for growth, but they lack even the barest essentials – brochures and related kinds of marketing – and they don’t know how to use Alabama welcome centers to their benefit."

With this in mind, much of the workshop will focus on showing communities how to use resources that already are available, such as Alabama’s statewide network of welcome centers, to begin developing a tourism industry, Farrow says.

Featured speakers at the workshop will include Ralph Stacy, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, who will discuss "How to Market Tourism in Your Area."

Another major focus of the workshop will be "Marketing Alabama Great Outdoors," which presented by Dr. Doug Phillips of the University of Alabama’s Museum of Natural History."

Bill Hester, manager of the R.H. Kirkpatrick Agricultural Pavillion, will also discuss how communities can market tourism activities for agricultural arenas.

The workshop will begin at 10:00 a.m. and adjourn at 2:30 p.m.

Organized by Alabama Cooperative Extension System agents and chamber of commerce professionals in 1993, the Alabama Sunrise Region, sponsor of the workshop, now comprises 15 counties in east central Alabama. The purpose of the Sunrise Region is to function as a multicounty coalition for developing and marketing tourism resources in east central Alabama.

To register for the conference, send $20 (which includes the meal) to Marilee Tankersley, Elmore Cooperative Extension Office, 340 Queen Ann Road, Wetumpka, AL 36092.

Registration deadline is Sept 20.

(Source: Tom Farrow, Clay County Extension Coordinator)

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