dynamic future Hugh A. Stump III //

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2 OPPORTUNITY dynamic future Gadsden and Etowah County, ideally-situated in northeast Alabama along the Coosa River and at the foot of Lookout Mountain, is full of outdoor fun. View majestic Noccalula Falls, ride the train, or play mini-golf at Noccalula Falls Park. Mountain bike the Black Creek Trails, fight spotted-bass on Neely Henry Lake, or go for a birdie at Twin Bridges Golf Course. Festivals like the Alabama Chocolate Festival in Rainbow City, Southside City Fest in Southside, Attalla Heritage Day in Attalla, and the First Friday celebrations in downtown Gadsden will keep you busy all year. Make sure to put the first Thursday through Sunday every August on your calendar so you won t miss the World s Longest Yard Sale! This historic sale begins at Noccalula Falls Park and travels up Scenic Lookout Mountain Parkway to Chattanooga and beyond for over 600 miles. Bargain-hunters and yard-sale junkies travel from across the U.S. to Gadsden for this funderful Sale each year! Hugh A. Stump III Hugh A. Stump III // Executive Director, Greater Gadsden Area Tourism

3 ETOWAH COUNTY TOURISM Greater Gadsden Area Tourism The Etowah County Tourism Board (ECTB) was formed in 2009 to promote Etowah County and its communities for the purposes of tourism. The ECTB markets under the Greater Gadsden Area Tourism banner to benefit from the awareness appeal of the name of the county s largest city and economic center--gadsden. Our mission statement is To develop the economic prosperity of Etowah County through the promotion of tourism and by attracting and assisting visitors to our communities. Tourism Numbers Federal: 2015 > billion domestic and international traveler expenditures in the U.S. > Creating 8.0 million jobs > $141.5 billion in tax revenue from travel spending for federal, state and local governments State: 2015 > 12.6 billion dollars in tourists expenditures, up 7.7% from 2014 > Has grown 86% in 13 years > Estimated 175,652 jobs in tourism related fields in Alabama > Every $107,310 of travel-related expenditures creates one direct job in Alabama. Etowah County: 2015 > 146,853,956 million dollars in tourist expenditures in Etowah County (up 19.5%). > 1,792 direct and indirect tourism jobs in Etowah County (up 13.4%). > 44,283,662 million dollars in earnings in Etowah County (up 13.3%). statewide TRAVEL EXPENDITURES BY CATEGORY LODGING FACILITIES 13% EATING AND DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS 27% GENERAL RETAIL 10% ENTERTAINMENT 9% PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION 15% AUTO TRANSPORTATION 26% ETOWAH COUNTY FACTS AND FIGURES: Hotels/B&B: 19 Hotels with 1,178 rooms Campgrounds, cabins and rentals: 2 Campgrounds In 2015, more than $797 million of state and local tax revenues were generated by travel and tourism activities. Without those taxes, each household in Alabama would have had to pay $424 in additional taxes to maintain current service levels. *Tourism Expenditures in north alabama topped $2.4 Billion in 2015, up 6.1% from How Tourism Dollars Support Etowah County s Economy Travelers Coming to Gadsden and Family Vacationers Business Travelers Reunions & Conventions & Athletic Teams Educational Etowah Family Gatherings Meetings Attendees Groups County Huntsville, Birmingham, Atlanta & Regional Airports Welcome Class of Charter Motorcoach, School & Church Buses How Tourists Arrive Recreational Vehicle Personal & Business Vehicles How Tourists Spend Their Dollars Attractions Museums Theater Festivals Fuel Retail Accommodations Restaurants Shopping LOCAL TAXES EMPLOYMENT INFRASTRUCTURE Greater Gadsden Area Tourism Trails and Scenic Parkways: North Alabama Birding Trail North Alabama Hallelujah Trail Lookout Mountain Parkway Alabama Antique Trail North Alabama Wine Trail North Alabama Barbecue Trail QUALITY OF LIFE LEISURE ACTIVITIES FACILITIES & HERITAGE Attractions with Estimated Annual Attendance Noccalula Falls Park 325,000 Coosa River/Coosa Landing fishing tournaments 25,000 First Fridays, average each FF 7,500 Mary G. Hardin Center for the Cultural Arts 85,000 Mountain Top Flea Market 150,000 ABOUT TOURISM

4 SPECIAL EVENTS in 2015, ETOWAH COUNTY LODGING TAXES COLLECTED INCREASED BY 19.5% ANNUAL STATE LODGING TAXES ETOWAH COUNTY 2013 $613,550 state lodging taxes 2014 $615,232 state lodging taxes 2015 $735,025 state lodging taxes Dollar Increase Over 2014: $119,793 Rate of Increase Over 2014: 19.5% LODGING TAXES ETOWAH COUNTY ANNUAL EVENTS Month Event Attendance Est. Overnight Est. ETOWAH COUNTY hosts more than A halfdozen annual events, which attract more than 100,000 total visitors. Apr. Alabama Chocolate Festival 10,000 10% Apr. Smoke on the Falls BBQ Festival 3,000 35% Jul. Southside City Fest 10,000 10% Jun. Wheels on the Hill Car Show 15,000 35% Jun. The Barbarian Challenge 1,300 25% Aug. World s Longest Yard Sale 45,000 40% Oct. Attalla Heritage Day 10,000 10% Dec. Christmas at the Falls 80,000 20%

5 BY THE NUMBERS ETOWAH COUNTY Tourist spending year growth 2013 $122,583, EVERY $104,692 OF EXPENDITURES IN Figures provided by 2014 $122,919, THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY CREATES the Alabama Tourism 2015 $146,853, ONE DIRECT JOB IN ALABAMA. FOR Department study Economic Impact, Alabama Travel Industry 2015 EVERY TWO DIRECT JOBS CREATED, THE ALABAMA ECONOMY INDIRECTLY CREATES ONE ADDITIONAL JOB. Etowah County Tourism Board Lodging Tax Revenues BY THE NUMBERS ETOWAH COUNTY STATE LODGING TAXES COLLECTED Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL , , , , , , , , , , , , $ , , , , , , , , , , , , $612, , , , , , , , , , , , , $613, , , , , , , , , , , , , $615, , , , , , , , , , , , , $735, % increase in Etowah County Tourism Board Lodging Tax Revenues since initial year in 2009

6 LODGING TAX-SEASONAL AND DESIGNATED DEMOGRAPHIC AREA ANALYSES SEASONAL ANALYSIS Quarterly lodging tax collections were used to gain insight into the seasonal travel-related activities in each county and at the state level. The results are reported in the graph shown below and in Table 16, on page 21. The graph Lodging Tax by Quarter-State, illustrates the ratio of the state s quarterly lodging tax collection to its annual lodging tax. According to the graph, the combined second and third quarter period (April through September) appears to be the strongest travel-related season, with 60.5 percent of all state lodging taxes collected during this period. This graph also indicates that the first quarter (January through March) and the fourth quarter (October through December) were the least active travel and tourism periods, with 20.0 percent and 19.6 percent, respectively, of state lodging taxes being collected for each of these periods. FIGURE 3 LODGING TAX BY QUARTER-STATE 2015 Etowah County Commission Joey Statum Lewis Fuller Larry Payne Jeff Overstreet Carolyn Parker Tim Choate Gadsden City Council Mayor, Sherman Guyton Cynthia Toles Deverick Williams Thomas Worthy Robert Echols Billy Billingsley, Sr. Johnny Cannon Ben Reed Etowah County Public Officials 2016 Etowah County Mayors City of Gadsden, Sherman Guyton City of Altoona, Richard Nash City of Attalla, Larry Means City of Glencoe, Charles Gilchrest City of Hokes Bluff, Jeff Cheatwood City of Rainbow City, Terry John Calhoun City of Reece City, Randall Scott City of Ridgeville, Jerome Anderson City of Sardis City, Terry Stephens City of Southside, Wally Burns City of Walnut Grove, Autry Works 35% 30% 30.0% 30.5% 25% 20% 20.0% 19.6% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1st Q 2nd Q 3rd Q 4th Q Table 16 represents the quarterly fluctuations for the seven counties in the state that have the highest levels of travel and tourism.

7 Address 90 Walnut St Gadsden, AL Let s work together Telephone hugh@greatergadsden.com website