City Expert Extols Importance of Tourism
Tourism – already the largest industry in the world – will only increase in importance in Memphis, which already has a $2.4 billion tourism business fueled by nine million annual visitors.
That was the conclusion by Brad Segal, President of Progressive Urban Management Association, in his presentation last week at the Annual Meeting of the Center City Commission.
In the lifestyle trends affecting downtowns, he said the growth of tourism – specifically international tourism - is one of the top five influences on U.S. cities. This bodes well for Memphis which already is a mecca for international music pilgrims attracted to our city’s multi-genre legends.
Around the globe, Mr. Segal said tourism employs 200 million people or 10 percent of the world’s jobs, and the burgeoning middle class in emerging nations like India and China will dramatically increase the number of travelers. As visitors to the U.S. climb, he said cultural heritage tourism is the growth sector – with more than 80 percent of all visitors – and people will stay longers and spend more money to sample historic and cultural riches.
While it’s rarely mentioned here in these terms, almost all of Memphis tourism is anchored in heritage tourism – music legends, African-American history, river culture, Beale Street, and more.
Following Mr. Segal’s advice, Memphis target even more this growing sector. Already, the Convention & Visitors Bureau has foreign offices.
To support the discussion about the future and the importance of heritage tourism, the Memphis Tourism Foundation will sponsor a speech October 11 by Bob McNulty, president of Partners for Livable Communities, on heritage tourism.
To prepare for this growing international clientele, Mr. Segal said Memphis needs to work on public transit and make sure its downtown welcomes diverse cultures, languages, and lifestyles.
Pointing out that Memphis is already the 44th most visited city in the U.S., he said our city has rich opportunities to stake a distinctive claim as an international tourist destination.
Posted by Calvin Taylor on in Blog
