Coming off good year in tourism, Tuscaloosa looks to take advantage of bicentennial celebration

With a good year in tourism revenue in the rearview window, Tuscaloosa city leaders hope to take advantage of the city’s 200th birthday to bring in more money.

During 2018, Tuscaloosa County was one of several counties across Alabama to see a bump in tourism. A total of 27.7 million people came to visit the state last year, bringing in a total of $15.5 billion, an estimated $1.2 billion higher than the previous year.

According to figures provided by the Alabama Tourism Department, tourism in Tuscaloosa County grew by 11 percent while nearby Jefferson County grew by more than 10 percent.

“We are excited our tourism industry grew by 8.5 percent in 2018, and we are proud to welcome millions of visitors to every region of our state, from the Tennessee Valley to the Wiregrass, to experience our hiking trails, beaches, restaurants and historical sites each year,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in a news release. “This great news not only impacts tourism, but it also has a major impact on our employment sector. Almost 200,000 direct and indirect jobs were maintained by the industry last year, setting yet another record.”

While exact statistics for Tuscaloosa County’s tourism revenue are still being calculated by Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports, those associated with the group said 2018 was a great year for the city. Barrett Elder, marketing and communications manager for Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports, said a big factor this year — similar to past years — is people coming to Tuscaloosa for Crimson Tide football.

“Obviously, football is one of the biggest drivers we have for visitors,” Elder said.

In addition, Elder also pointed to the benefits of the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, which attratcs people from across Alabama and the country. During the year, country acts like Keith Urban, Alan Jackson and Chris Stapleton were some of the more popular acts to come to town.

“We have an incredible amphitheater,” he said.

However, Elder and others are looking for the city’s ongoing bicentennial celebration to bring even more tourism dollars to the area in 2019.

“While this is Tuscaloosa’s birthday, we see that people are coming in all over the state to come celebrate,” he said.

Elsewhere in Alabama, cities have used their past to bolster tourism. One example in Montgomery, that in addition to its history as a hotbed of civil rights activities during the 1950s and 1960s, was able to benefit from the opening of the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice in 2018. That year, Montgomery County’s tourism jumped 15 percent jump from the previous year.

There have already been several events held to honor Tuscaloosa 1819 founding. Back in March, a free Bicentennial Bash was held at the amphitheater where acts like Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, the Commodores, the Blind Boys of Alabama and St. Paul and the Broken Bones played all day. In the upcoming months, there will be more activities.

Elizabeth McGiffert, events chairwoman for the Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission, said 2019 would have a lot of things people in town could do before the city’s official date of incorporation on Dec. 13. Between Aug. 23 and Aug. 24, the Druid City Music Festival will take place, featuring dozens of bands as well as headliners Big Boi of Outkast and Blackberry Smoke.

“It’s an event we hope will become more an annual event,” McGiffert said. “That event is really geared toward bringing people in from outside Tuscaloosa,”

The biggest day of the bicentennial will be Dec. 13, the date the city was incorporated. On that day, a statue that was commissioned by the University of Alabama will be unveiled at Manderson Landing on the banks of the Black Warrior River. There will also be a parade through downtown to celebrate the bicentennial.

“We hope it’s going to be a big party throughout Tuscaloosa,” she said.

Elder said the bicentennial will be a good time for people across the country to learn more about Tuscaloosa and its history.

“This year is just a once in a lifetime opportunity to look back and appreciate everything Tuscaloosa has gone through,” he said.

According to the Alabama Tourism Department, the travel industry represents 7.3 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.

Reach Drew Taylor at drew.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.