Thursday 25 August 2016

USA: Birmingham Tourism Positively Improves In 2016

Alabama’s tourism director says the state is on pace for the fifth straight year of record attendance from tourism.

The state’s tourism office projects guest spending should top $13 billion.

It’s not just the gulf coast beaches attracting the business.

Birmingham is seeing increases.

Shiro Ndungu is visiting the Magic City for the first time.

The Kenyan native now living in Massachusetts didn't know what to expect when she arrived.

She’s been pleased ever since.

“I'm visiting a lot of historic sites. I'm impressed to be honest with you," said Ndungu.

Birmingham has enjoyed good publicity this year.

It has been called "the South's rising star" by the travel website Lonely Planet.

One of the city's newest restaurants, OvenBird, got praise that Birmingham is a food destination.

Tourism numbers are still preliminary for Birmingham, but the Convention and Visitors Bureau reports booked hotel rooms at this stage of the year are ahead of last year's numbers.

In 2015, Birmingham hosted 4.4 million overnight visitors with tourists spending $1.7 billion.

The City of Birmingham alone has already seen an increase in lodging tax collection this year.

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