DeKalb County Tourism Director John Dersham releases annual economic impact report

By: Joseph M. Morgan, Editor and Publisher

joseph@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala.—DeKalb County Tourism Executive Director John Dersham recently released the 2016 Tourism Economic Impact Report, and travel to DeKalb County is alive and well.

Tourism in DeKalb County has seen significant growth over the past 15 years, with a 25% increase in the past decade alone. Dersham’s report showed another year of positive tourism growth in 2015, accounting for $79 million or tourism-related spending over the past year in DeKalb County by out-of-town visitors.

“Every year the State of Alabama Revenue Office provides a report for the state of Alabama that is specific to tourism in Alabama,” Dersham said. “The revenue office compiles this as a total for the state and then they compile one for each of the 67 Alabama counties.”

The continued growth of tourism provides significant capital to local businesses that translates into generous tax revenues for city and county governments. This is not only apparent in DeKalb, but across most other states. With states like California having whale watching california excursions and DisneyLand, it is clear states are thriving off the fantastic tourist excursions they have in place. As a whole, the report shows just how significantly tourism impacts local economies, tourism, local governments, small businesses and the county as a whole.

The statewide report emanates from the lodging tax paid at all lodging facilities; including hotels, motels, bed and breakfast lodges, campgrounds, rental cabins and any other forms of paid rental for overnight accommodations.

“We are very fortunate in Alabama to live in a state with great scenic and cultural diversity,” Dersham said. “Visitors love the fact that when they come to Alabama they can enjoy the beach and the mountains, the coastal plains, great golf courses, great cities and they love our culinary palette. They love our State and National Parks and they love the Space and Rocket center in Huntsville, which is the number one attraction in north Alabama.”

According to Dersham’s report, DeKalb Tourism has increased by an impressive near 25% over the past decade—going from tourism expenditures of $60.1 million in DeKalb County ten years ago to the $79 million spent by visitors in our county in 2015.

“Our state is up from number 22 just a few years ago, and is growing at a faster rate than some of the states ahead of us,” Dersham said. “DeKalb County accounted for nearly $79 million dollars. This is up 5.5% from the previous year, and judging from our 2016 year to date numbers, I think our growth will be even better this year.”

Tourism is also responsible for creating more than 1,000 jobs in DeKalb County. Dersham’s report showed that tourism provided employment for 1,015 people in DeKalb County in 2015. The number of tourism-related jobs has risen by 11% in DeKalb in the past two years alone.

“Tourism in Alabama is a fast growing and profitable industry in a time when the overall economy has struggled to regain its pre 2008 levels,” Dersham said. “Except for a slight hiccup in 2008 and 2009 tourism has grown every year in DeKalb County.”

Dersham explained that the continued reduction to the cost of fuel to and gas prices lower than they have been in several years, travel all across the U.S. is growing at a faster rate this year.

“We are a weekend destination for 11 million people who live within a 200 mile radius of us,” Dersham said. “With gas prices lower and overall costs to visit our area being low in comparison with most destinations, it is making us a hot spot; not just in Alabama but throughout the region,”

Dersham said DeKalb County is considered to have one of the highest leisure tourism rates in the state, second only to Alabama’s beach communities along the Gulf who always drive the highest numbers in terms of leisure tourism.

“Here in DeKalb, the number of people visiting our towns and attractions is growing,” Dersham said. “I am proud to be in tourism in such an exciting time for growth in our industry. It feels good to live and work in an area people love to visit and share our wonderful destination with us.”