“Alabama is a place that people enjoy visiting,” said the the tourism department’s director, Lee Sentell.“Tourism has grown by a billion dollars a year, with a million more people coming than the year before, for five out of the last six years,” Sentell added.When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the tourism industry took a major hit. Nationwide tourism went down 45% in 2020. Sentell notes Alabama only went down 20%.
“That’s because people love to come to Alabama’s beaches. They love our state parks. They love other activities,” he said.“The room accommodations, bookings are up,” said Ken Grimes with Orange Beach. “People are headed and ready to get outside once again. We’re geared up for summer.” Travelers will see higher prices at the pump, but the state does not believe the cost of gasoline will deter too many folks.
“People who are from the furthest distances, maybe we’re not going to have as many people from Michigan and Indiana as we’ve had in the past, but we’re still going to do very well,” Sentell said. He said part of the state’s success comes from $10 million the governor provided the Alabama Tourism Department for tourism and economic recovery.That is why Alabama ranked number five on Google’s most searched states, Sentell said.
That 'Booming' sound you hear is the sound of gunfire in tha major cities like Montgomery, Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama. It is also the sound GovernorKayIvey hears in her head when she finishes one of her glorious speaches.
humantrafficking, RealEstate scams, property deed theft, burning down condos, murder. Alabama is booming alright.