The tourism business in Chattanooga is a conundrum. Despite the depressed economy, the launch of a competing aquarium in Atlanta, Ga., and the lack of new tourism product in the city in recent years, the number of people visiting Chattanooga is rising. One major indicator, hotel tax revenues, rose 18 percent during the last fiscal year, even though the rate itself hasn’t changed since 2005. This was almost double the national average.
Steve Genovesi, vice president of sales and marketing at the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, makes it his job to understand the ups and downs of local tourism, and believes he knows why the Scenic City is hosting so many out-of-towners: not only is Chattanooga a wonderful place to visit, it’s an easy place to sell.
“The great thing about Chattanooga is there are many different niches to which we can sell. And that’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve spent a lot of money on Internet advertising in an attempt to speak to specific groups of people. If you’re looking for a romantic getaway, you could do this; if you’re looking for a Civil War experience, you could do this; if you’re looking for a great place to ride your motorcycle, you could do this,” he says.
Chattanooga has been an easy sell since the Tennessee Aquarium opened in 1992, the Walnut Street Bridge re-opened as a pedestrian thoroughfare in 1993, the Creative Discovery Museum opened in 1995, the IMAX 3D Theater opened in 1996, and Coolidge Park, complete with a vintage carousel, opened in 1999. No longer was Chattanooga “the dirtiest city in America,” as Walter Cronkite had said during a 1969 broadcast, but “a top 10 family destination” (Family Fun magazine), “one of the world’s greatest cities” (NPR’s “Morning Edition”) and “one of the country’s best places to live, work and play” (Outside magazine).
More recent additions include expansions to the Aquarium and the Hunter Museum of American Art, improvements to the Creative Discovery Museum, the installation of public art, and a complete overhaul of the riverfront at Ross’s Landing. “The expansion made downtown even more walkable, which connected the attractions. As a result, the Aquarium is able to help our other businesses,” Genovesi says.
With all of these pieces in place, the Bureau has plenty of visual fodder for its marketing campaigns, which have included Internet ads and ADDY-award winning television spots. These have appeared in Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville, Knoxville and other nearby cities during “Dancing With the Stars,” “Oprah” and other popular programs. Although the bread and butter of the tourism business in Chattanooga are 30- to 45-year-old parents, the ads feature shots of couples in attempt to attract people under the age of 30 as well as older visitors.
“We’re seeing a change in our audience. Our core still consists of families, but we’re seeing more and more younger couples taking in the city. Another big trend are the empty nesters who are bringing their grandkids here,” Genovesi says. The Bureau is so enamored with younger tourists, it’s given them a special name: dinks, which is short for “double income, no kids.” The television ads are shaped to draw people to the Bureau’s Web site (www.ChattanoogaFun.com), where people can learn about tourist attractions, accommodations, dining, culture and the places in Chattanooga that support sporting events, conventions and reunions.
The ads also encourage visitors to stay in a hotel and take in more than one attraction and restaurant. While the Aquarium is Chattanooga’s most popular crowd-puller, Genovesi says letting people know about the city’s many other destinations is a major component of their advertising campaigns. “The ads have allowed us to promote staying in a hotel and doing multiple things versus coming to Chattanooga just for the day. There are a lot of things to do within close proximity to each other. You can be downtown one minute and up on the mountain the next doing something completely different,” says Genovesi.
“More and more people are telling us they’re coming to Chattanooga to experience the whole community, so while they’re here, they take in the Aquarium, ride a Pedicab and go to Lookout Mountain.”
Visitors are also taking advantage of their extended time in Chattanooga to experience more of the town’s award-winning restaurants. Traditionally, people do not think of the Scenic City as a dining destination, but that’s changing with the launch of restaurants such as St John’s, which is home to Chef Daniel Lindley, a James Beard award nominee in 2009 and 2010; Table 2, which has received multiple awards of excellence from the Wine Spectator restaurant awards committee, and more. “People who live in the big cities used to go to other weekend getaways because they felt like those areas not only had good entertainment but also great dining. Now we have those things, too,” Genovesi says.
Chattanooga also has the support of its people, which Genovesi says is invaluable. “Chattanooga would not be where it is today without the locals showing their pride in the city and helping us to bring in people from out of town. Whether someone is a member of a board that convinces an association to come here for a convention, or an individual resident who tells his or her friends and family members to visit the city, it’s helped. Chattanooga would not be as popular as it is without that kind of publicity.”
In the end, tourism benefits everyone who lives in Chattanooga, Genovesi says, especially homeowners, who save hundreds of dollars a year in property taxes thanks to the economic impact of tourism, according to a study the Bureau commissioned from a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor. The Bureau plans to launch a new ad campaign in 2012 to maintain the momentum it’s built. It’s also close to releasing a virtual tour guide for iPhone and Android that will give people a portable “You are here” map of Chattanooga along with a search function that will identify the location of the nearest Italian restaurant, for example. And it will continue to let people know about additions to classic attractions like Ruby Falls and Rock City – all in an attempt to lure visitors to “one of the world’s greatest cities.”