Industry news in the Southeast
Auburn University to Begin Construction on $94.5 Million Culinary Center With Boutique Hotel and Restaurant
Beginning in 2021, Auburn University students will have an incredible facility to hone their talents for the hospitality and tourism industry. One of those being a “Chef in Residence” program, where a different nationally acclaimed chef will provide a chef de cuisine to work hand-in-hand with culinary science instructors and students to create a restaurant of his or her own vision.  Construction will begin in April on the 142,000-square-foot facility that also includes a 9,000-square-foot food hall, wine appreciation center, distilled spirits center, food and beverage media studio, and more.

Beaches Back Open for Business in the Florida Panhandle
Four months after Hurricane Michael, the beaches of Florida's Panhandle are ready to welcome guests. While the beaches, hotels, and restaurants are ready for the spring break crowd, some residents are still residing in hotels while they await home repairs. With this in mind, industry insiders are encouraging visitors to book their travel early.
South Carolina Groups Work Together In Attempt To Halt Seismic Testing Off Their Coast
Nine conservation companies have filed a lawsuit in hopes of stopping seismic testing off the coast of South Carolina. Critics of the testing say it will impact marine life and South Carolina's $22.6 billion tourism industry. According to an article in The Post and Courier, "Their case has been joined with a lawsuit filed by 16 coastal communities and the S.C. Small Business Alliance, as well as the state of South Carolina through Attorney General Alan Wilson." 

National Park Foundation and Friends of the Smokies to Host FREE Meeting Regarding Partnership Best Practices
Join the National Park Foundation in Gatlinburg, TN on April 8-11 for a gathering focused on national park partnership best practices, hosted by the  Friends of the Smokies .

The Southeast Region includes: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands. Meeting registration is free but please note this event is limited to 80 participants.

Video Game = More Tourists
Bethseda Game Studios, creators of Fallout 76 - a post-apocalytic video game based in West Virginia, caught the attention of WV Governor Jim Justice and the West Virginia Tourism Office as a way to boost tourism for the "Almost Heaven" state.

According to an article by WV Public Broadcasting, "The West Virginia Tourism Office held events leading up to the game’s launch in November (2018). The Office has released articles online pointing out landmarks, lore, and they created an interactive map of in-game locations."

West Virginia's Fall Foliage and New River Gorge Bridge are pictured in the Fallout 76 video game.
Credit: Bethseda Game Studios
North Carolina Tourism Prepares to Protect Summer Break Calendar
While this topic is not limited solely to North Carolina, more than 20 school calendar flexibility bills have been filed by lawmakers in North Carolina for the potential to start their school year in early August. Currently schools begin in late August and end in early June.

To Protect Its Coral Reef, Key West Bans Sales of Select Sunscreens
In the interest of protecting its only coral reef, which also happens to be the largest reef in the continental United States, Key West has voted to ban the sale of sunscreens containing
oxybenzone and octinoxate beginning January 2021. This is similar to a ban Hawaii implemented in July of last year.
STS Annual Conference
Join your travel and tourism peers March 19-21, 2019 at the
Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. Register today. STS Member Rate is currently $695 and Non-Member is $895. Hotel Deadline is March 4. See you at the beach!

Presented By:
Southeast Tourism Society
Corporate Partners