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Article published Jul 1, 2008 Tennessee targets in-state travelers Visitors Bureau to join state tourism promotion
By Robert Norris of The Daily Times Staff
To encourage in-state travel, the state Department of Tourist Development has changed its summer advertising initiative to include an aggressive in-state campaign, department officials said Monday.
Blount County plans to follow suit, said Herb Handly, executive vice president of tourism for the Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tennessee is looking close to home to cope with the high price of gasoline.
To encourage in-state travel, the state Department of Tourist Development has changed its summer advertising initiative to include an aggressive in-state campaign, department officials said Monday.
Blount County plans to follow suit, said Herb Handly, executive vice president of tourism for the Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"We concur with the state folks on this. It's a wise decision to look within a 100-mile radius," Handly said.
The initiative features four weeks of television at prime point levels, highlighting Tourism's new television commercial with Kix Brooks of the country music duo Brooks and Dunn, with supporting radio promotions reminding Tennessee residents of the affordability and variety of attractions the state presents. Additionally, the radio campaign included all-inclusive trip giveaways to the three grand regions of Tennessee.
"The in-state advertising initiative is a reminder to Tennesseans that our state is an incredible vacation destination," said Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker. "We want to encourage Tennesseans to take a trip just down the road to some of the greatest places on earth that just happen to be right here in Tennessee."
People still traveling
Cindy Dupree, director of communications for Tourism Development, said record attendance at in-state events, such as the CMA Music Festival in Nashville in June, show that people still want to travel. The department noted Tennessee's state parks were recently rated No. 1 in the nation and that the state ranks in the top 10 of the lowest gas prices.
"There are a lot of folks out there who have forgotten about discovering their backyard," Handly said. "If you go to downtown Knoxville and ask people if they've ever been to Tuckaleechee Caverns, I'd say eight out of 10 haven't," he said. "Ask how many have been to the Smokies, about five may say they haven't been here for years."
The numbers aren't in yet, but Handly said he is optimistic about how tourism in Townsend held up during the fiscal year that just ended, considering the economic conditions.
Two June events that were held here for the first time helped. The 2008 Tennessee State H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) Rally was "particularly good." The first Pottery Festival "turned out to be very successful."
Tough year ahead?
The fiscal year that starts today could prove to be a more challenging tourism market.
Handly said he read in a Virginia newspaper published Friday that the occupancy rate for lodging in May in the Williamsburg area was likely the worst in four years.
"The new year might be a more difficult environment than in the past. Other states are reporting difficult conditions."
The Visitors Bureau plans to make adjustments similar to those made by the state by helping potential visitors, even people who live in the area, to learn about tourism opportunities just a few miles away.
"We're going to hunker down into making this an attractive destination and put the advertising into place to make that happen," Handly said.
"We still are a premium destination just by the fact of who we are -- being the Peaceful Side of the Smokies. Places like this are few and far between nowadays.
"When life gets tough, when it's difficult times, Townsend is a place to come and kick back and refresh your thoughts."
Tennessee's official tourism Web site, www.tn vacation.com, is a guide to planning an in-state vacation.